Turcha, description, photo, growing conditions, application

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Features of the marsh turkish

Hottonia palustris is an aquatic plant with feathery leaves that grows in wetlands throughout Europe. Hotonia is endangered or extinct in certain parts of its range. Turcha grows completely submerged except for long flower spikes, each of which bears a set of light purple flowers.

Hottonia palustris is suitable for creating an extravagant bush in the center of the aquarium. The leaves at the tips of the shoots resemble snow crystals and contrast perfectly with other plants.

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English names: water violet.

Appearance and features

Hotonia is a marsh plant belonging to the Primrose family. Its natural habitat is the waters of North America. Hottonia is a perennial plant with fairly good adaptive abilities.

In appearance it resembles a lush shrub with small emerald green leaves. The plant looks very impressive, so it can become a worthy decoration for any aquarium.

The height of adult specimens varies from 15 to 50 cm. Moreover, the size of hottonia depends on the depth of the reservoir in which it grows. Therefore, it can be safely planted even in small tanks. The root system of the plant is poorly developed and has a thread-like shape.

An interesting feature of hottonia is that, even when lifted off the soil, the plant can develop and maintain its viability for quite a long time, being in a floating state. But the only thing needed for this is a warm climate.

The flowering period begins between May and July. The flowers of the marsh hotonia are fragile, miniature, soft white or light lilac in color, and look very attractive, especially due to the fact that they most often form lush inflorescences that stand out in contrast against the background of the rich green general background of the shrub.

With the onset of cold weather, hottonia in its natural environment falls into a state of “hibernation”, shedding its foliage. When kept in an artificial reservoir with a suitable temperature regime, the plant grows throughout the whole year, but the processes of its growth and development still slow down.

Characteristic

• The leaves of the marsh turcha plant are of a bright green hue. They are neither long nor short, no more than six centimeters in length.
• As soon as hottonia occupies a body of water, it covers it with a thick cover. Such beauty immediately attracts attention. Therefore, we can say that this is a wonderful decoration for small bodies of water. However, you still need to keep an eye on him. There is no need to allow the plant to grow to monstrous sizes. As soon as you feel that the size exceeds the norm, you need to start cutting off the excess.
• Hottonia is an aquarium plant. If you place Hottonia in an aquarium, it will be no more than fifty centimeters in height. And if it is in an environment that does not constrain it, it can grow up to a whole meter in height.
• There should be no more than four branches in the aquarium. This way they will look cute and harmonious. If you plan to place herbivorous fish in the aquarium, then it is better not to plant marsh turk. After all, in a few days she will lose her attractive appearance.

Hottonia palustris (Hottonia or Swamp Turcha) aquarium plant

Description of the lot

Freshwater aquarium

For sale cuttings 12-15 cm long.

Price 33 rub. for a week until 11/04/18, since I weeded it, then I’ll throw it away.

Hottonia or Turcha marsh, grows in swampy, shallow reservoirs with standing water located in Europe and Asia. This plant is extremely easy to maintain, but at the same time it is very beautiful and decorative. This plant has gained great popularity and can be recommended for keeping by beginning amateur aquarists.

Hottonia palustris has small, dissected, bright green leaves. The leaves on the stem are arranged alternately and are up to 6 cm long and up to 3 cm wide. As the plant grows, it forms dense decorative thickets that immediately catch the eye and will be a decoration for almost any aquarium. Under suitable conditions, the plant grows very quickly and becomes a large bush, which sometimes needs to be trimmed to maintain its natural beauty. The size of the plant in aquarium conditions reaches 50 cm; in natural habitats the plant reaches a meter in height. As the water level drops, the plant continues to grow above the water. And this despite a rather weak thread-like root system.

By the way, even if, due to some circumstances, it comes off the ground, Hottonia can normally exist in a floating state.

It is advisable to plant a plant in an aquarium with 2-4 branches. The bushes look especially beautiful when planted in a compact form.

Hottonia is a rather attractive aquatic plant, widespread in amateur and professional aquarium keeping.

Bright light green thickets constantly delight their owners. In addition, flowering also occurs in the aquarium, usually in June-July.

Hottonia palustris is a relatively large plant. If the aquarium is spacious enough, then aquatic grass can grow up to 40 cm in height. In principle, this is not the limit when creating favorable conditions. Moreover, a spreading bush is often trimmed if it extends above the water level.

Naturally, such dense spreading vegetation is not planted in the foreground; Turcha looks very impressive either near the side wall, creating an “underwater forest” zone, or in the background of the aquarium landscape.

Editorial: Polypterus

Priming. The condition of the soil plays a rather important role: marsh turcha develops better in muddy soil. Therefore, the addition of a small amount of natural freshwater sludge will be beneficial. Periodic feeding with fertilizers containing iron microelements also plays a positive role. In this case, the color of the leaves becomes bright and saturated.

Lighting. Appropriate lighting plays an important role. In low light, the grass degrades and leaves may fall off. And, on the contrary, with a light power of 0.5 to 0.8 W/liter it develops normally, and young shoots grow quickly.

Role in the home biotope. If all of the above conditions are met, Hottonia palustris becomes a very effective natural oxygenator, that is, a living substance that produces large amounts of oxygen, which is so necessary for aquarium fish and other living creatures.

Marsh turkish grass reproduces by lateral shoots. To do this, it is enough to separate a small shoot from the mother bush and plant it in the ground in a new place. The cutting adapts very quickly to new conditions and will begin to grow in a few days.

Fast growth, attractive appearance, flowering and active saturation of water with oxygen - this is what makes Hottonia palustris a very attractive aquarium plant. And not only for aquariums. Decorative framing of small backyard ponds with thickets of this bright green flowering aquatic vegetation has become very popular in recent years.

Grown with fertilizers

Hottonia palustris

Hottonia palustris turcha marsh photo

Hottonia palustris turcha marsh photo

Hottonia palustris turcha marsh photo

Hottonia palustris turcha marsh photo

During the flowering period in the pond, inflorescences 30-50 cm long rise from the leaf axils above the surface of the water. The inflorescence consists of whorls of flowers grouped into tiers from white to pale pink, with pedicels. The corolla is up to 2 cm long, the calyx is deep. The inflorescences and stems are covered with red shoots.

PRACTICAL NOTE ON GROWING AQUARIUM PLANTS

This note is posted in all FanFishka articles dedicated to aquarium plants. This is a cheat sheet with a link that will help you grow any aquarium plant and herbalist of any complexity.

First of all, the proper level of lighting is necessary.

(light intensity - Lumens)

Next, the proper concentration of CO2

Further macro-fertilizers and micro-fertilizers

Water parameters, care and quality water changes

The gradation of this formula is based on the degree of importance. Lighting intensity is primary, and then descending. Therefore, if your plants have holes in the leaves, they have sciatica (crooked) or there are problems with algae, then please do not read the “bad advice” - this is chlorosis (lack of iron), this is a lack of potassium... diarrhea, phimosis and endometriosis )

You always need to solve the problem of setting up an herbalist from major to minor. Plants will die more quickly from a lack of lighting than from a lack of Fe and K. Moreover, the latter are always present in one degree or another in the aquarium, but it is difficult to measure their precise value.

Below, let's go from the main to the minor.

Lighting in an aquarium with plants . Remember, the most important thing in light is its intensity (Lumens)! All other lighting characteristics: spectrum, Kelvin, PAR/PAR, Ra... are important, but secondary. There will be no intensity of lighting, there will be nothing. At the same time, the lighting intensity must be balanced - selected specifically for your project (height of the water column, number and types of plants, daylight hours).

Based on the above, choose aquarium lighting primarily by the number of lumens, and then everything else.

Lighting is the most expensive part. The most budget-friendly solution is to install ordinary construction-street floodlights above the aquarium . Fortunately, they are now very thin and aesthetic. And believe me, under them everything grows with a bang, of course, provided that all the other components are present.

In order not to be unfounded, here are photos of our herbalists, which were grown exclusively under LED spotlights or with their presence.

If you want professional lighting or aesthetics. Then you will have to fork out some money. The amounts can vary quickly from 10,000 to 50,000+ rubles for a 100 liter aquarium. It’s difficult to advise anything, because... Everyone has different needs and capabilities. In this article we talk about the products of our partners - Tetra , Laguna , ISTA lighting .

We tried to briefly and objectively talk about them. Then it's up to you. In any case, we do not really recommend that you pay attention to handicraft lighting assembly from folk craftsmen. Not all, but as a rule, they shove who knows what kind of diodes into such an assembly, assemble it all on their knees... and believe me, more than once on the forum you hear echoes of the consequences of such a purchase. After all, a company is a company. At a minimum, you are given warranty and post-warranty service.

If you are a beginner, your first herbalist, then LED spotlights are your choice. Let's move on, otherwise this note isn't very short =)

CO2 for aquarium plants . The plant is approximately 90% water, the remaining 10% is dry matter. Of that 10%, 46% is carbon. This is why CO2 supply is so important in a planted aquarium.

Possible problems

The main problem faced by most aquarists involved in growing hottonia is too fast and intense growth, leading to the formation of dense thickets in an artificial reservoir, which not only do not look aesthetically pleasing, but also create excessive shading, harmful for other green spaces, and most aquarium inhabitants.

Hotonia is a fairly strong, hardy and stress-resistant plant that is not susceptible to most diseases characteristic of other aquarium crops. The only thing that can negatively affect its condition is incorrect parameters of the wave environment, low temperature conditions, as well as traumatic damage to the sheet plates.

If the leaves of Hottonia begin to fade, turn yellow and fall off, the plant slows down its growth and stops sprouting, then it is necessary to urgently take precautions. First of all, you should remove damaged branches and leaf blades

Then siphon the soil, carry out a complete change of water in the aquarium, having first checked its basic parameters, and set the proper temperature using a heater.

Hottonia also does not tolerate a lack of light, so it may be necessary to increase the lighting intensity and temporarily move the aquarium to a place accessible to the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Hottonia is a very beautiful and unusual plant, used to create an impressive aquarium design and increase the oxygen content in the aquatic environment. This crop is not too demanding on the soil and does not require the application of organic fertilizers. All that hottonia needs for full development and preservation of its natural beauty is a warm climate, bright lighting and clean water.

Optimal conditions of detention

Experts say that hottonia cannot be classified as too demanding and whimsical aquarium crops. But in order for this plant to grow well, develop and delight the eye with its rich colors, it needs to be provided with optimal conditions, as close as possible to its natural habitat.

To successfully grow hottonia, aquarists are advised to maintain certain water indicators in the tank at the proper level:

• temperature range – from +16° to +22°С;
• acidity – from 5 to 7 pH;
• hardness – from 4 to 12.

For best growth, rapid development and full flowering, the plant will also require an additional supply of carbon dioxide. Since Hottonia needs a clean aquatic environment and reacts extremely negatively to various types of pollution, the aquarium must be equipped with a sufficiently powerful filter.

It is necessary to change the water once a week by approximately 25-30% of the total volume of liquid in the aquarium.

Sufficiently bright and intense lighting is vital for hottonia. With a lack of light, the plant begins to degrade, its leaves first fade, losing their attractiveness, and then completely fall off. With sufficient lighting, hottonia quickly grows, develops, and sends out young shoots. As for the soil, the ideal soil for this aquarium culture will be silted sand.

The plant can function normally without additional fertilizing. However, periodic use of fertilizers with a higher percentage of iron will make the color of Hottonia leaf plates even more saturated and bright.

Swamp butterfly (Hottonia palustris)

Syn: hottonia, water feather.

Swamp grass is a perennial herbaceous plant of bright green color, blooming with beautiful white flowers in the summer. The swamp grass plant grows in water and is widely used for decorating aquariums and artificial reservoirs.

In the aquarium hobby

Turcha swamp is popular among aquarists. It is suitable even for beginners, as it does not require special care. This plant perfectly decorates an aquarium and has a positive effect on fish and other aquatic life, as it produces a sufficient amount of oxygen. The main rule is sufficient illumination, daylight should be at least 10 hours, so it is recommended to equip the aquarium with bright artificial light

Another important requirement is the water temperature, it should range between 19-23 degrees. This temperature is comfortable not only for plants, but also for fish

Despite the thin leaves, marsh turchu is often used for spawning; the foliage performs a protective function and preserves eggs from large fish.

To plant this crop in your aquarium, you need to prepare shallow soil into which the root system of the plant is buried. Growing seeds in an aquarium is quite difficult, so experts recommend purchasing small bushes. In the right conditions, it reproduces actively without special care.

In crop production

This plant can be cultivated not only at home within an aquarium, but also in local ponds. This is quite simple to do, just place the turkey seeds in the pond. To achieve successful growth and reproduction, several rules must be followed:

· The pond should be located in a well-lit place.

· Standing water is recommended.

· The reservoir should be no deeper than 2 meters.

· This crop cannot grow in hard water, therefore, before planting, the reservoir is checked according to all requirements, and if necessary, the water is softened in any convenient way.

In medicine

Turcha bog is not included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation and is not used in official medicine, as well as in other medicinal practices.

Contraindications and side effects

Any use of the plant internally is prohibited! The plant has not been sufficiently studied by science and is not used for medicinal or food purposes.

Classification

Swamp grass (lat. Hottonia palustris) is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Turcha (lat. Hottonia), family Primroses (lat. Primulaceae).

Botanical description

A perennial herbaceous crop that usually grows in water. Equipped with numerous white thread-like roots, the main stem reaches up to 45 centimeters in length and takes root in the silt. From the nodes of the stem, whorled, filamentous, bright green leaves grow in a rosette, pinnately dissected into narrow, linear, sharp segments. The leaves do not exceed 8 centimeters in length.

Flowering occurs in the summer, usually from early May to early August. During this period of time, inflorescences no more than 40 centimeters long rise from the leaf axils above the surface of the water. The inflorescence consists of whorls of white to pale pink flowers grouped into tiers, with pedicels. The corolla is up to 2 cm long, the calyx is deep. The inflorescences and stems are covered with red shoots.

Around the end of September, the foliage dies off, and the swamp grass hibernates at the bottom of the reservoir in the form of dormant buds. The fruit is a dehiscent capsule. The seeds are numerous and very small. Vegetative propagation is carried out by dividing the stem and leaves.

Editorial: Hemianthus cubea

Spreading

Swamp turcha grows abundantly throughout Europe, sometimes found in water bodies of Asia Minor. In Russia, in the Vologda region, it is located on the northern border of its range. Also, swamp turkish is found in Scandinavian countries and the Mediterranean.

This plant grows in shallow, moderately nutrient-rich water bodies such as ditches, ponds, swamps and creeks, usually localized in lowlands.

Turcha - water feather

Turcha, called a water feather for its beautiful feathery leaves, is an excellent decoration for ponds, combining well with almost all coastal and aquatic plants. The bright green leaves of this beautiful plant in the company of amazingly beautiful flowers will certainly make any pond original. Moreover, turchi leaves are also endowed with the ability to purify water.

Getting to know the plant

The beautiful turcha belongs to the Primrose family and is a close relative of the primrose. This herbaceous plant with stems covered with comb-pinnate leaves floats freely in water and is characterized by the absence of roots.

The stem of this wonderful perennial along with its leaves is immersed in water, and only the flower arrow rises above the water, on which there are no leaves and the height of which is up to thirty centimeters. On these arrows, delicate flowers of a pinkish hue are arranged in whorls. All flowers sit on long stalks in the axils of the covering linear leaves. During flowering, the turcha is located quite close to the surface of the water.

Turchi fruits are spherical multi-seeded capsules equipped with five valves and ripen under water. The seeds of this plant are quite small and oval in shape. In addition to seeds, turcha can also reproduce by buds formed in the fall; such buds are formed at the tops of branches with underdeveloped leaves that have a crowded appearance. Funny buds, after overwintering, turn into new plants.

Turchi leaves often act as an excellent shelter for all kinds of aquatic organisms, insects and small fish. They are also excellent oxygenators, purifying water, releasing valuable oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide and mineral salts.

Planting marsh turkish grass - the main nuances

An alternative name for the plant in question is hottonia; many people know it by this name. Its purpose is purely decorative, which is due to its attractive appearance. Externally, the swamp grass is a long, dense stem, about twenty centimeters long. The leaves are lacy, divided into many small branches. During the flowering period, which falls at the beginning of summer, quite large flowers of white and pinkish colors appear at the top of the stem from rosettes. Usually three or four inflorescences appear on one plant at the same time, which delight the eye for a long time.

When seasonal cooling sets in, hottonia hides under water, where the process of ripening of fruits takes place, outwardly resembling small boxes. The buds, which will become the progenitors of young plants, also ripen. Overwintering of a plant occurs like this - the adult plant dies, and the ripe buds sink to the bottom, where they are protected from frost. With the onset of spring, when the sun begins to warm the water, the bud floats up, forming a young rosette. And the entire life cycle repeats itself again.

Planting swamp grass is very simple - just place the seeds in a suitable body of water. The plant's habitat requirements are as follows:

1. It should be located in a well-lit or slightly shaded place.
2. Water that is standing or with a slight bottom current is preferable.
3. But the level of water hardness plays a role - the presence of lime and calcareous stones has a detrimental effect on the health of the plant; it does not accept hard water.

In addition to the option of planting seeds, you can also use the vegetative method, separating young rosettes from adult plants.

You can grow swamp turkey not only in open-air ponds, but also in home aquariums. For beginners in the aquarium hobby, such a plant will be an excellent guinea pig due to its unpretentiousness.

Rules for caring for the marsh turkish

Like most aquatic plants, hottonia is not fussy; growing it is not difficult even for a novice gardener.

Let's consider the main aspects of plant care:

1. Water.

As mentioned earlier, bog grass can grow equally well in both well-lit and slightly shaded places. The depth of the pond should be average. Ponds that are too shallow will freeze during the winter cold, and because of this, successful wintering of the buds will not take place.

The nature of the water is preferably stagnant, slow currents are allowed. But according to its chemical properties, the liquid in the reservoir should be soft, without lime impurities.

1. Feeding.

The plant does not need additional nutrition; it receives everything it needs from its own habitat.

1. Lighting.

The plant is not afraid of direct sunlight. Its leaves have such a structure that sunburn can be avoided. And in a shaded place it will feel absolutely comfortable.

1. Thinning.

It is necessary only in cases where the reservoir is very small and plants begin to fill it too thickly. Although, given that old plants die off, giving life to new ones, the problem of overpopulation is rarely relevant.

1. Compatibility with other inhabitants of the reservoir.

If you have fish in your pond or aquarium, keep in mind that herbivores are partial to Hottonia leaves, which have a delicate taste and convenient texture. Such a neighborhood can lead to the death of the plant. But predators will be completely indifferent to him, so such proximity will not bring harm.

Flower growers have two options for propagating Hottonia:

1. Using seeds.

If both male and female plants are settled in the same reservoir, then seeds ripen, which can subsequently be used to grow young flowers.

1. Vegetative.

This method is suitable for those who do not want to bother collecting seeds, it is much simpler - you just need to separate a young rosette with leaves from an adult plant, and that’s it, the future swamp grass is in your hands. You can place it here, or you can place it on another body of water to make it unusual and attractive.

Plant care

Temperature

The favorable temperature for this plant varies from fifteen to twenty-eight degrees, hardness should not exceed 12 dH, and acidity should not exceed 7 pH.

Top dressing

It will be better if you filter it, as well as feed it with various types of beneficial nutrients. All these methods will accelerate the growth and development of the plant.

Lighting

The plant loves light very much, so it needs to be in the sun for at least twelve hours a day. In this case, the sun's rays should not fall on the leaves. After all, this will provoke the growth of algae, which will spoil the appearance and destroy the plant.

Reproduction

To propagate the plant, it is necessary to cut off a side shoot and transplant it into the ground in some remote place. Swamp grass is characterized by good adaptation to the new environment, therefore, as soon as a few days have passed, it will actively grow.

But you need to watch her. After all, if you allow it to grow, it will fill the entire bottom. And the pond will end up looking less beautiful and attractive. Photos of the Turks will tell you whether such a plant is needed in a pond.

Source: prorastet.ru

The soil serves as an abode for most representatives of the flora. But some plants have adapted to survive in places where, at first glance, this is not easy to do. We are talking about bodies of water - lakes, swamps, ponds and others. Many gardeners use aquatic plants to decorate their garden plots. Elements of landscape design often become small ponds, which are decorated with plants that give them a more sophisticated look.

In the article we will talk about such an aquatic plant as marsh turkish. You will learn how to plant it correctly, grow it, and how to propagate it.

Reproduction

It is very simple: vegetation can be propagated using cuttings. A young side shoot should be carefully separated from the main bush and immediately planted in the ground. After some time it will take root.

As in nature, hottonia can grow greatly in an aquarium due to the appearance of new shoots from root shoots. That is why it is recommended not only to trim the thickets, but also to periodically thin them out.

Fast growth, attractive appearance, flowering and active saturation of water with oxygen - this is what makes H. palustris a very attractive aquarium plant. And not only for aquariums. Decorative framing of small backyard ponds with thickets of this bright green flowering aquatic vegetation has become very popular in recent years.

Compatibility of Hottonia with aquarium inhabitants

Often aquarists are faced with the problem of eating Hottonia leaf plates by ornamental fish that prefer plant foods. This not only spoils the appearance of the plant, but can also lead to its death. Therefore, the best option would be to grow hottonia in an artificial reservoir where large predatory fish live, absolutely indifferent to green spaces.

Most aquarium inhabitants are very fond of hottonia - adults rest in its shade and find a place for privacy there, and fry find a reliable and safe shelter.

Hottonia in aquadesign

Let us note right away: this is a rather attractive aquatic plant, widespread in amateur and professional aquarium keeping. Since a constant temperature regime is maintained in the aquarium all year round, there is no “hibernation” season for Turchia.

Bright light green thickets constantly delight their owners. In addition, flowering also occurs in the aquarium, usually in June-July.

Hottonia palustris is a relatively large plant. If the aquarium is spacious enough, then aquatic grass can grow up to 40 cm in height. In principle, this is not the limit when creating favorable conditions. Moreover, a spreading bush is often trimmed if it extends above the water level.

Naturally, such dense spreading vegetation is not planted in the foreground; Turcha looks very impressive either near the side wall, creating an “underwater forest” zone, or in the background of the aquarium landscape.

Aquadesign

In aquatic design, Hottonia palustris is used as a mid-ground plant. Its feathery, snowflake-like leaves create an excellent contrast with other plants. With the help of trimmings you can create bushes of interesting shape. This aquarium plant is often used in Dutch style aquadesign as well as in the natural aquarium.

This is also an excellent plant for decorating a pond. Hottonia palustris, as a European plant, is very hardy, growing very close to the surface of the water, forming soft cushions. In a pond it grows best in partial shade, in muddy, nutritious soil.

Sources:

https://aquariumguide.ru/freshwater-aquarium/aquatic-plants/xottoniya-ili-turcha-bolotnaya.html https://fanfishka.ru/akvariumnye-stati/666-hottoniya-inflata.html https://aquamir- za-steklom.ru/akvariumnye-rasteniya/katalog-akvariumnykh-rasteniy/hottonia-palustris.html

How to properly grow swamp turkey?

Rules for plant care and maintenance

Body of water or pond

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Photo: Swamp Turcha at home

There are two ways to grow hottonia in a garden pond. On the one hand, the species can be grown in a coastal area with a water level of only a few centimeters. There it often forms above-water shoots (a growth form appears). However, the feather becomes very beautiful when it is placed in water 40-60 centimeters deep. Algae is the biggest enemy of water feathers. You should not expose your Chotonia to intense sunlight because it encourages algae growth too much. The ideal place for Hottonia is partial shade. It is also necessary to prevent the feather from being intensively eaten by fish. Many fish eat the tender shoots of the species. Also make sure your pond doesn't have too many snails and caddis larvae as they can be serious plant pests.

Editorial: Sumatran Barbus

Aquarium

Hottonia is a relatively unpretentious species. Most of all, the marsh turk prefers soft, filtered water. A slight yellow tint in the water does not cause any harm, but you should not neglect regular partial water changes. As with all plants with fine feathers, excessive filtration is as poorly tolerated as aeration with air stones, which on the one hand displaces CO2, and on the other hand causes the smallest suspended particles to settle on the plants.

Photo: Aquatic plant Turcha marsh

The water temperature in the aquarium should not be higher than 26 ° C, otherwise the feather will begin to grow too quickly. The duration of lighting should simulate daylight, namely 12 hours. Even though hottonia can meet most of its nutrient intake through leaf areas, it grows much better with clay supplements in the substrate. Low pH is especially important for root growth. The soil and/or peat (with the latter you need to make sure it is acidic white peat) helps establish a favorable soil climate.

Feather propagation occurs by seeds or cuttings. Cuttings are separated from the mother plant during the summer.

Various uses of the plant

Photo: Beautiful Turcha marsh

• The species is used in folk medicine to treat diseases, including heart problems.
• The seeds are characterized by a lack of innate dormancy, the ability to remain viable after drying, and the ability to germinate in a relatively wide range of temperatures in light and an aerobic environment, making the feather an easy species to propagate.
• Oxygenating plants are a good solution for keeping your pond water clean and healthy. They produce and restore oxygen necessary for the life of fish and the breakdown of organic substances by bacteria. These include hotonia. Its leaves are not only oxygenators, but also a refuge for fish and various small aquatic organisms.
• The flower extract of the plant is included in homeopathic medicines. For example, “Water is purple.” This is a flower essence for people who tend to be aloof and closed off, appear cold and keep their problems to themselves. Prescribe 10 drops orally 3 times a day. Directions for use: Take 2 drops in a small glass of water and swallow at regular intervals or place directly on tongue.

• Turcha is an excellent choice for your home aquarium. The wide growth habit makes the species suitable for planting between very short and tall plants. Chotonia can be pruned to create a distinctive median shrub in an aquascape, where its feathery, snowflake-like bright green foliage provides an unusual contrast to other species. This is often used in Dutch style layouts. As you can see in the photo, the Turcha plant decorates the aquarium with its bright appearance.

Botanical description of the plant

Swamp turcha is an aquatic plant with a stem that reaches up to 80 centimeters in height; the basal roots are located in the soil, while the other, silvery, shiny roots float freely in the water.

The leaves are deeply divided down to the midrib, like teeth, and are completely submerged in water, but when the water level drops sharply they can float to the surface. The leaves alternate or are associated with the stem in more or less regular whorls.

Photo: Beautiful Turcha marsh

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The flower spike, which rises vertically 20-40 centimeters above the water, is leafless and rough due to its hairs. The corolla of flowers, grouped in superimposed whorls, consists of 5 large white or white-lilac petals up to 2 centimeters wide. The fruits are capsules, 2.0-3.0 millimeters long. Chotonia blooms from May to July. Of interest is the fact that in winter the species sheds its leaves and goes into “rest”, which lasts until warming. Wintering occurs in the form of turions - special inactive buds that sink to the bottom of the reservoir. Turcha marsh is shown in the photo.

A similar species to Hottonia palustris is Hottonia inflata. This aquatic grass has a submerged and horizontal stem, up to 90 centimeters in length, large in diameter and spongy inside. The leaves alternate along the submerged stem, grouped in a whorl under the emerging inflorescence. Leaf blades up to 10 centimeters long, sessile or petiolate, pinnately dissected by numerous thin segments. The inflorescence is an emerging sessile umbrella of spiny racemes. The flowers, represented by bracts, are arranged in the form of curls along a highly elevated axis, with 2-10 flowers per curl. Inflorescence axes up to 30 centimeters long, 1.5 centimeters wide; ascending when flowering, floating horizontally when fruiting, hollow, noticeably segmented at the nodes, pubescent with fine hairs. Bracts 3-8 millimeters long, linear. Flowers are actinomorphic, hypogynous. Flower stems are 3-10 millimeters long, often with glandular points or short hairs. The fruits are capsules, 2.0-2.5 millimeters long.

Description origin

Swamp grass is a perennial plant with fluffy, pinnately dissected light green leaves and pale purple flowers. In nature, it is found in swamps and swamps, growing in muddy soil in shallow water in clear water, brightly illuminated by light. Hottonia flowers appear above the water in late spring. Externally, it is very similar to limnophila and pinnately. However, in Limnophila and Pinnate the leaves are often whorled and grow in a circle, while in Hottonia palustris they alternate tightly.

The height of the marsh turk reaches 10-30 cm, so it is suitable for a nano aquarium.

Hotonia palustris is rarely used as an aquarium plant; it is much more often used for decoration in home ponds.

Care

It is best to plant Hottonia palustris in a large 150 liter aquarium. It will look great in the central part of the aquarium composition

Here it catches the eye, attracts attention and pleases with its delicate and unusual leaves. In a prosperous aquarium community, its rapid growth can cause inconvenience; it has to be trimmed and a bush formed

It is best to plant Hottonia palustris in 2-4 branches at a time, compactly, so that they form continuous thickets. The plant is a good treat for herbivorous fish, and they often nibble on it. Water for growing Hottonia palustris should have a temperature of +15°C - +28°C, with a hardness of dH of 2-12°, and an optimal acidity of pH 5.0-7.0.

Hottonia responds well to regular filtration of aquarium water, weekly replacement of 1/3 of the volume with fresh water and additional feeding with microfertilizers and CO2. Hottonia palustris especially needs microfertilizers containing iron, nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, which accelerate growth and affect color. A lack of nitrogen-containing substances in water slows down growth and yellowness appears on the leaves, and a lack of phosphorus compounds leads to darkening of the leaves.

The plant loves light very much, and its optimal lighting intensity is 0.5-1.0 W/l for 12 hours. It does not tolerate shading well; the leaves of the plant begin to rot and quickly lose their attractiveness. It is necessary to protect Hottonia bushes from direct sunlight, because in illuminated areas it becomes overgrown with small algae. Hottonia palustris prefers light silted soil rich in nutrients. Hotonia is perfect not only for decorating aquariums, but also for designing a home pond.

Content

Keeping Hotonia palustris in an aquarium is not very difficult, provided that several requirements are met. It needs strong lighting, as well as the constant presence of liquid fertilizers in the water - nitrogen (nitrates) and phosphates. Lighting should be 1 W per liter of water or more, otherwise the lower leaves will begin to rot, melt and dissolve. In no case should Hottonia palustris be allowed to be shaded, otherwise it will immediately begin to wither and lose its appearance.

Like all marsh plants, Hottonia palustris prefers light, shallow soil rich in nutrients.

Also, for full growth and a healthy appearance, this aquarium plant needs CO2 supplied to the aquarium, especially since Hottonia palustris is prone to fouling with algae.

Hottonia palustris is a European plant, not a tropical plant, so it prefers lower temperatures. It grows much faster at temperatures below 26 degrees Celsius, while it will have a larger shoot diameter (up to 5 cm) and look healthier.

NO3 and PO4 should be kept above zero at all times, but ideally above 5 ppm (parts per million) NO3 and 0.5 ppm PO4. A lack of nitrogen will lead to slow growth and yellowing, and a lack of phosphate will lead to darkening and gradual fading.

Water parameters are not particularly important - water can be either soft or medium-hard.

Distribution in nature

Many sources indicate a very large area of ​​natural growth - Europe and Asia. However, scientific literature is more specific, as it indicates the boundaries of the natural distribution of this vegetation: the temperate climatic zone of Europe and Western Siberia.

Hottonia grows in shallow water in swamps, along the shores of lakes and ponds in stagnant or slowly flowing water. It does not tolerate pollution of water bodies, therefore in many places it is considered an endangered species of aquatic flora. In central Europe, the grass population has declined sharply due to the practice of draining swamps.

The plant was described in detail back in the 19th century. According to the botanical classification, it belongs to the class Dicotyledons, family Primroses, genus Turcha. The scientific (Latin) name for the marsh grass is Hottonia palustris.

Hottonia: description and cultivation

Hottonia is a plant that prefers swampy, standing water. You can meet him both in Europe and Asia. After all, it does not require special conditions. Another name for it is swamp turcha.

Growing it is not that difficult. But what a beautiful flower it turns out to be. This plant will be an excellent decoration for any pond. Since the plant requires minimal care, it is suitable for those who have just started working on their aquarium.