international waterlily and water gardening society · of aroids (araceae) bydeni bown page 11...

International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society

Volume 23, Number 11st Quarter, 2008

The Water Garden Journal Vol. 23, No. 1

In This IssuePage 2 2008 Symposium Information

Page 3 Combined ExecutiveDirector’s/President’s Commentsby Keith & Tish Folsom

Page 5 Extreme Aquatics: Size andDiversity among Wetland Speciesof Aroids (Araceae)by Deni Bown

Page 11 Grower’s Corner

by David CurtrightPage 12 Lotus Tour of Southern China

by Pat CliffordPage 18 Neglected Aquatics

by Rowena Burns

Page 19 Pest Control in WaterliliesWithout Toxic SyntheticChemicals

by Andre LeuPage 21 News & Notes

Page 22 Book Review: Edible WaterGardens: Growing Water-Plants forFood and Profitreview by Walter Pagels

Page 24 Society Information

IWGS WebsiteMembers Only Page

The members page features exclusive societynews, articles and online voting. The memberlog on is symposium and the password isvirginia. Members will be notified by emailwhenever this password changes. After loggingin, the members only page allows you to selectthe current Journal and it will download in aPDF format for viewing. This Journal issue isavailable online in color for viewing, printing orsaving.

www.iwgs.org

Plan Now toAttend theIWGS 2008Virginia, USASymposium

July 17, 2008 – July 22, 2008

Visit the beautifulShenandoah Valley and

Richmond, Virginiawhile you meet aquaticplant aficionados from

around the world,and learn from

international experts!

Visit www.iwgs.orgfor more information as it

becomes available about thisgreat opportunity

Vol. 23, No. 1 The Water Garden Journal

Combined Executive Director’s/President’s Commentsby Keith & Tish Folsom

In our part of the world (Virginia, USA) spring is rightaround the corner. The signs are everywhere; birds areactive, daffodils are peeking through the mulch and bestof all our fish are starting to move around the watergardens. They’re not looking for food, but they will besoon. As our water gardens awaken here, yours in thesouthern USA are probably well under way. Ourfriends in the southern hemisphere are soon going toexperience a change the opposite way, winter iscoming; cool relief is on the way. For some, time to getmoving; others, time to relax a bit.

No matter where you are, it’s time to plan for a visit toour annual symposium for a time of education andnetworking. I hope your plans will include VirginiaUSA, this year’s location of the International Waterlilyand Water Gardening Society Symposium. Tish and Ihave been hard at work making the arrangements forthe program that will be held in July. The mainsymposium, July 17-19, 2008 is where you’ll have thebest opportunity to meet the people you have heardabout over the years, some of the legends of ourindustry. Stay around for the post-symposium, July 20-22 for more time touring, learning and visiting withnew and old friends.

This abbreviated version of the symposium will giveyou an idea of the events planned.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond,VA showcase acres of gardens including wetlandand insectivorous areas, a rose garden, formalgardens, a kids garden and a beautiful indoorconservatory with tropical plants and an orchidcollection. The educational center is the location ofour main symposium where we will have ourspeakers, auction and banquet.

Moerings USA, LLC Stevensburg, VA is a state-of-the-art aquatic plant production facilityemploying Dutch technology for the productionsystem. We’ll visit with Oscar Warmerdam, theowner of Moerings USA and learn about what he isdoing with his aquatic plants as well as a green roofplant production program he has recently begun.

Meadowview Biological Research Station inWoodford, VA is a grower and innovator in thecategory of insectivorous plants and seepage

wetland plants. We will visit the nursery andgrounds to learn what is being done with thisemerging field of wetland preservation.

Ashland Berry Farm in Ashland, VA is a retailerand installer of water gardens and koi ponds in theRichmond area. A longtime player in watergardening, this stop will give us an opportunity tosee koi, aquatic plants and the retail store.

Nishikigoi of Niigata in Midlothian, VA is animporter and grower of Japanese koi nearRichmond, VA. Soil pond production and indoorholding facilities at this stop give us a unique lookat high quality koi nestled in a garden setting.

A renowned moss garden owned by NorieBurnet in Richmond, VA is an unusual additionto our tour. While the focus is on her shadylandscape featuring a fantastic collection ofmosses, the delightful style of Norie Burnetincludes a small water feature. Showcased by thelikes of the Smithsonian as a garden of high repute,this is a little seen garden we are lucky enough tovisit.

Monticello, Charlottesville, VA home of ThomasJefferson is in the Blue Ridge Mountains ofwestern Virginia. While not a water garden,Monticello is a must see for a taste of the richhistory of Virginia. We will tour the home andimmediate grounds of one of the USA history’smost important founding fathers.

Private Garden of Rod Wainright in Nellysford,VA is located at the eastern foot of the Blue RidgeMountain in a community of homes built aroundthe Ski Resort of Wintergreen, VA. This gardenfeatures a large water garden with a waterfall.

On the way from the Wainright Residence we willtake a brief but breathtaking drive along therenowned Blue Ridge Parkway along the spine ofthe Appalachian Mountains on our way toWaynesboro, VA. Waynesboro is in theShenandoah Valley where we will be for theremainder of the post-symposium program.

FiberTech Virginia in Waynesboro, VA is amanufacturer of fiberglass garden ponds. Thisquick stop allows us to see how a preformed pondis made and the shapes and sizes available.

Continued, Next page


Springdale Water Gardens in Greenville, VA,our symposium host, is a grower and retailer ofaquatic plants and a specialty location dedicated towater gardening. Springdale features sixgreenhouses, outdoor production ponds, a gift andsupplies store, a fish holding facility, gardens, andeven a kids museum. We will enjoy a very specialmeal prepared by a local gentleman whospecializes in Dutch Oven cooking.

Grand Caverns and the Living South RiverProject, Grottoes, VA is another stop to expandyour cultural experience while visiting Virginia.We will have a tour of the beautiful caverns andtheir vast features and structures. Also here is aregional natural history museum and an exhibit ofthe life of the South River Watershed. The smallmuseum is part of an educational effort for localmiddle schools to learn the importance of thewetland habitat using a hands-on wet lab andmacro-invertebrate lab. We will have a chance togo to the river and explore up close themacroinvertebrates that live in the water and whythey are important to us as water garden andwetland enthusiasts.

Private Gardens in the Shenandoah Valley Virginia Tech Horticulture Gardens located at

Virginia Polytechnic Institute & StateUniversity in Blacksburg, VA features a largewater garden and streambed with waterfalls as partof the campus gardens.

City of Roanoke, VA downtown has a greatdisplay of tropical waterlilies located in a city park.We will make a quick stop in this beautiful andhistoric city.

TetraPond in Blacksburg, VA is a facility mainlydedicated to warehousing water garden productsfor eastern United States distribution. We will seesome of the packaging and production of some oftheir products before enjoying lunch hosted by themanagement of TetraPond.

Our educational day speakers: Bruce LaPierre – Sitelight, Richmond, VA –

“Water Garden Lighting”- Bruce will be speakingabout lighting water gardens, waterfalls andfountains in the landscape. Lighting a water gardenenhances an illuminated landscape. There will besome discussion of how to blend landscape lightingand water garden lights.

Phil Sheridan - Meadowview Biological Research,Woodford, VA – “Seepage Wetland Gardening”-Phil will present the program about seepagewetland planting, defined as a wetland that is

seepage fed with groundwater through sandy, low-nutrient soil. The plants found in a seepage wetlandare diverse. Most people think of carnivorousplants, but the diversity is far more complex thanjust those plants.

Warner Orozco – Obando Auburn University,Dept. of Horticulture, Auburn, AL will speak onthe topic of Lotus. He will present several mini-topics, such as: Development of out of seasonproduction (winter) for the southeast; Edible Lotus- the next frontier; Cultivar evaluation anddescription for submission to the Registrar of Lotus

Craig Presnell – Luster Aquatic Nursery, ZolfoSprings, FL – “Hybridizing Waterlilies”- Craigwill talk about his journey into hybridizing andhow he comes up with some of the most interestinghybrids on the market. Craig has a differentapproach to hybridizing and selection of theprogeny than others. He’ll show us some of his“creations.”

Don Bryne – Suwanee Laboratories, Lake City, FL– “New Victoria species from Amazonas, Brasil”-Don will talk about the search for the new speciesof Victoria in the Amazon Rainforest. He willshow the plant that was found and will talk aboutwhere it is today.

Danny Benjamin – Hazorea Aquatics, KibbutzHazorea, Israel – “Plant Production in Israel” -Danny’s presentation will be about the methodsused in Israel for production of waterlilies. Theirunique system of harvest and marketing will makean interesting program.

Sandi Greene, Education Specialist, HeadwatersSoil and Conservation District, Staunton, VA –“Macroinvertebrates of the Wetland Habitat” -Sandi will conduct an educational, hands-onpresentation about benthic macroinvertebrates,indicators of water quality in the stream and riverecosystem. These insects are important becausesome of them are the ones we enjoy and find in ourwater gardens. We will make a streamside visit tothe South River where we will capture, inspect andrelease these organisms. This part of the programwill be held during the post symposium at GrandCaverns and the Living South River EducationalExhibit.

Tish and I are very excited to have you all visit with ushere in Virginia. There will be plenty to see and do andthe food is great! There may be a few minor additionsor changes, but I think you get the idea, Virginia is theplace to be this summer.


Cut-away section through the inflorescence of Cryptocorynespiralis, showing clusters of female flowers at the base,males at the top, and a valve-like flap that controls entry andexit of tiny flies, which are imprisoned until pollination hastaken place.

Extreme Aquatics:Size and Diversity among Wetland Species of Aroids (Araceae)

Article and photos by Deni Bown

SynopsisThe aroid or arum family (Araceae) has 108 generaand around 3,750 species. In recent years twogroups of aquatics have had a big impact on familydynamics. Duckweeds (Lemnaceae), which are oneof the smallest of all flowering plants, have joinedthe family, and Acorus has been removed to form aseparate family, Acoraceae - although for historicalpurposes Acorus will be covered in this survey.

Even before these changes, the Araceae wasarguably the most diverse family of floweringplants. It is now the most extremely diverse.Species vary enormously in habit, leaf morphologyand inflorescence characteristics. The typicalspathe-and-spadix inflorescence is microscopic induckweeds and a massive 2m (6ft) tall in the titanarum, Amorphophallus titanum. Virtually everyknown leaf shape occurs in the family, and sizeranges from minute to several meters in length.Leaf coloration is also highly varied. A number ofspecies are naturally variegated or have variegatedjuvenile forms. Not surprisingly, the family is a richsource of ornamentals. Most homes have an aroid:Aglaonema, Dieffenbachia, Caladium, Syngoniumand Philodendron are best selling pot plants, andthe striking waxy inflorescences of Anthurium andZantedeschia are equally popular as cut flowers.Gardens are rarely without aroids too, especially inthe tropics, where genera such as Alocasia,Xanthosoma, and Monstera are often used fordramatic effect.

Less well known perhaps is the fact that manyaroids are aquatics or helophytes. Some 30 aroidgenera - over a third of the total – are restricted towetlands and watercourses. Many are highlyspecialized, either free-floating or growing indemanding habitats such as seasonal swamps, fast-flowing torrents, and tidal zones. Aquatic aroidsalso come in all shapes and sizes, from minisculeWolffia to tree-like Typhonodorum.

This introduction to aquatic aroids will highlightthree main categories: taxa well-established in

cultivation; new or little-known species withintriguing adaptations to aquatic existence; andlastly, invasive species. Topics covered includeecology, ornamental and other uses (food,medicine, and raw materials), and special interestgroups that symposiasts may contact for moredetailed information.

Extreme AquaticsThe aroid or arum family (Araceae) has 108 generaand around 3,750 species, which means that Aroidsare so diverse that it is difficult to generalize aboutthem. Botanists and experts can spot them in aninstant, but at first glance they can be confusing forthe uninitiated. Plants range from tiny floating


Typhonodorum lindleyanum is a tree-sized aquatic aroid, foundonly in Madagascar and one or two other Indian Ocean islandsbut its closest relative is North American Peltandra.

aquatics to gigantic climbers, from bulbous to tree-like, and everything in between. One thing they dohave in common though is a spathe-and-spadixinflorescence, so if an aroid is flowering, you standa good chance of recognizing it. The spathe is amodified leaf, and the actual flowers are very smalland borne in a cluster called a spadix, which isusually poker-shaped. The flowers are eitherbisexual or with male and female in separate zones.Inflorescences differ greatly in shape and size, andevery conceivable variation on the spathe-and-spadix theme is found in the family. Aroids are alsohighly diverse in pollination mechanisms, fruiting,and seed dispersal. Some of the most ingenioustactics are found in aquatic species.

Virtually every known leaf shape occurs in thefamily, and sizes range from minute to severalmeters in length. Leaf coloration is also highlyvaried. A number of species are naturally variegated

or have variegated juvenile forms. Not surprisingly,the family is a rich source of ornamentals. Mosthomes have an aroid: Aglaonema, Dieffenbachia,and Syngonium are best selling pot plants, and thestriking waxy inflorescences of Anthurium arefamiliar as cut flowers. Gardens are rarely withoutaroids too, and ornamentals such as the arum orcalla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) have escapedinto the wild and become a weed in many parts ofthe world.

In recent years two groups of aquatics have made abig impact on family dynamics. Duckweeds wereoriginally in their own family, Lemnaceae, but afew years ago phylogenetic studies showed they doin fact belong to Araceae. Duckweeds may beregarded as weeds by water gardeners but they arenevertheless fascinating. The structure of these tinyflakes of vegetation is the ultimate inminiaturization. You need a magnifying glass oreven a microscope to appreciate the details – or takea short cut and visit websites on the subject. Induckweeds the typical spathe-and-spadixinflorescence is highly reduced and so minute that itis scarcely recognizable. At the other extreme, theinflorescence of the titan arum, Amorphophallustitanum, is over 6ft (2m) tall.

The other major change to the aroid family is thatthe genus Acorus has been removed to form aseparate family, Acoraceae. Acorus is well-knownto water gardeners, especially in variegated formsof A. calamus and A. gramineus.

Even before these changes, the Araceae wasarguably the most diverse family of floweringplants. It is now the most extremely diverse!

It is also worth noting that aroids are generallytoxic. They contain various acids, acrid compounds,and also mechanical irritants, such as crystals ofcalcium oxalate. These crystals are often in theform of needles, known as raphides, which arepacked in phial-like cells. Be warned, when thecells are ruptured by crushing or cutting, theneedles shoot out, and if they lodge in mucousmembranes or broken skin, they can causeconsiderable discomfort.

HelophytesHelophytes thrive in saturated ground besidewatercourses, swamps, bogs, marshes and in


Montrichardia arborescens is a giant tropical American aquatic.The intensely fragrant inflorescences are followed by yellow fruits1.5ins long, known as fruta del diablo (fruit of the devil) butapparently edible.

seasonally flooded ground. Though some areseasonally dormant, they must have ample moisturewhen in active growth and most are rich feeders.

Three very hardy helophytic aroids are known asskunk cabbages because they have cabbage-likeleaves and fill the air with a skunk-like smell whenflowering. Symplocarpus foetidus from EasternNorth America produces cowl-shapedinflorescences which are thermogenic. The spadixgenerates sufficient warmth to melt frozen ground.The heat dissipates the skunky odor and attractspollinators which enter the spathe to feed on nectarand pollen. They often mate in the floral chambertoo, safe and snug while outside temperatures maybe subzero. The curious inflorescences are followedby bold but neat foliage.

Lysichiton americanus is another North Americanspecies. Its inflorescences are bright yellow, andsimilarly appear in early spring before the leaves.The fruits remain green when ripe and theinfructescence simply disintegrates. Some seedlingsgerminate nearby, forming large colonies, andothers are carried some distance by flood water inspring. Lysichiton camtschatcensis, the Easternskunk cabbage, is separated from its sister speciesby North Pacific. Where the two are grown closetogether, hybrids with cream flowers may occur. Inmy view these are not a patch on the pure white andprimary yellow of the sister species, and should beeradicated. All skunk cabbages have massive deeproot systems and contractile roots to anchor theheavy plant and keep it bogged down through frostheaving or flooding. They consequently dislikedisturbance and do not transplant well, neither dothey thrive for long in containers. The roots alsocontain a cocktail of chemicals which has longmade them important in traditional medicine asremedies for bronchial complaints.

Calla palustris is another extremely hardy species,distributed throughout northern parts of Northhemisphere, as far north as the Arctic Circle. It is notclosely related to any other aroid. The creepingrhizomes root in mud or float in shallow water.Attractive red fruits are a feature as the foliage diesdown for winter.

Peltandra virginica occurs in eastern NorthAmerica. The greenish-white spathes hardly open somust be pollinated by very small flies. After

flowering, the stems bend down to protect thedevelop fruits, and when they are ripe, the green topurple-black berries are dispersed into water.

Typhonodorum lindleyanum Surprisingly, this hugetropical aquatic aroid is closely related to Peltandrabut occurs on the other side of world in Madagascarand a few other places in the Indian Ocean. Itproduces magnificent white inflorescences, inside

which you can sometimes find a perfectlycamouflaged white frog. Fruiting stems bend downtowards water, as in Peltandra.

Montrichardia arborescens is a common sightalong waterways in tropical America. It reaches12ft (4m) tall, and bears large, very fragrant


Anubias giganteus belongs to a small West African genus ofabout 8 species that all occur in forest swamps or streams andrivers.

inflorescences, followed by clusters of goldenyellow fruits. There is a dwarf form found on someCaribbean islands that’s good for smaller gardens.Montrichardia is an important food plant of thehoatzin, a primitive bird that clambers among thebranches using claws on its wings.

A less common sight is Dracontioides desciscenswhich grows in swamps in eastern Brazil. Thespongy stalks that lift the handsome sagittate leavesare 6ft (2m) long, and the foliage is unusual inhaving natural holes. This phenomenon, known as

fenestration, is extremely unusual. It occurs inmany aroids but elsewhere in the plant world it isrecorded only in the genus Pentagonia (Rubiaceae)and in one species of Aponogeton.

Another uncommon South American helophyte isGearum brasiliense, which is found in savannahregions of central to western Brazil. In the dryseason these areas are very dry indeed, andflowering occurs at ground level when the plant isdormant. As the rains start and the savannah floods,a solitary leaf with linear leaflets is produced.

Colocasia esculenta, commonly known as taro oreddo, is the staple food of the Hawaiian Islands andwidely grown in tropics for its starchy roots. It isgrown in flooded fields similar to rice paddies.Genetically it is very variable and may vary greatlyin leaf shape and color. Cultivars such as ‘Illustris’and ‘Black Knight’ are among the best ornamentalsfor water gardens.

The genus Zantedeschia is from southern Africa,though Z. aethiopica, the hardiest species, has beenpopular for so long as an ornamental that it is grownand naturalized in most parts of the world, fromtemperate to tropical. For many years the veryhardy ‘Crowborough’ and vigorous ‘GreenGoddess’ were the only cultivars, but now there aredwarf selections and some with pink-flushedspathes, such as ‘Pink Mist’, which is very hardyand comes true from seed.

From tropical West Africa is the genus Anubias,which has 8 species, all aquatics. The largest is A.giganteus, known in the aquatic plant trade as‘Congo Sword’. It has elegant inflorescences aswell as handsome foliage. The commonest is A.barteri, a small variable species which is ideal forfish tanks.

Many new aroid species – and even genera – havebeen discovered in recent years, especially inSoutheast Asia. Though some are of littleornamental value, others such as Homalomenaexpedita are promising. This species, found in deepyellow mud along ditches in a small kampong inLundu, Sarawak, was described for the first time in2002.

RheophytesThe word rheophyte means ‘lover of the current.’Rheophytes are ‘superaquatics’ thriving inwaterfalls and fast-flowing rivers and streams inwhich currents often exceed 6ft (2m) per second.To stand up to such a battering, they have narrow,flexible, fish-shaped – literally stream-lined –


Both leaves and inflorescences of water lettuce (Pistiastratiotes) are covered in dense water-repellent hairs,making it totally unsinkable.

foliage. Another essential is a large tenacious rootsystem that can cling to rocks or deeply penetratemud or river sand. Most rheophytic aroids occur inSoutheast Asia. There are six wholly rheophyticsmall genera – Aridarum, Bucephalandra,Heteroaridarum, Hottarum, Phymatarum, andPiptospatha. The largest is Piptospatha, with abouta dozen species. Two of the most ornamental arePiptospatha ridleyi, which is naturally variegated,and Piptospatha grabowskii, which produces prettypink spathes and has a recently discoveredvariegated form.

Rheophytic species occur in other genera too.Unusually, one is a climber.

Rhaphidophora beccarii occurs in Borneo,Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and southernThailand. It could be an interesting subject forboulders in fast-flowing water.

For some unknown reason, rheophytic aroids arealmost unknown in tropical America. One of thefew is Philodendron flumineum from centralBrazil.

True AquaticsTrue aquatics grow either underwater – submersed,or partly underwater - emersed. Most aquatic aroidspay close attention to weather forecasts and phasesof the moon, timing flowering to coincide with dryperiods and low water levels. Orontium aquaticumis closely related to skunk cabbages. Like them it isextremely hardy and early flowering, so is anotherreal joy of spring in the temperate water garden.Unlike them, it must have shallow water and is nothappy as a marginal. The inflorescences standabove water and lack a spathe, or rather it isreduced to a tiny scale.

Cryptocoryne is a large genus of around 60 speciesof highly specialized aquatics, many of which arethe mainstay of the aquarium plant trade. Somespecies are very variable, with distinct clonesaccording to habitat. For this reason they have beendescribed as the Darwin’s finches of Araceae. Manyare difficult to cultivate; the easiest being those thattolerate calcium. Favorites for ornamental purposeshave wavy, crinkled or puckered leaves or attractivered, purple or bronze coloration. Less obvious arethe intriguing inflorescences but as they are onlyproduced when water levels drop, they are seldom

seen in cultivation. Some have long curly-tailedspathes (as in Cryptocoryne crispatula var.crispatula from tributaries of the Mekong insouthern Thailand) or are quite colorful as in C.lingua. All have intricate floral parts, which can beappreciated when the wall of the spathe chamber or“kettle” is cut away. Fruits of crypts are alsointeresting and different from other aroids in thatthey split open into five segments when ripe.Another interesting feature in some species is thatthe foliage changes shape during the growingseason, becoming reed-like (filiform or terete) whenwater levels fall, as seen in C. retrospiralis.

Many species of Cryptocoryne are rare orendangered. Having very restricted distributions,they are especially vulnerable to pollution and lossof habitat. Crypts also tend to live in areas that aredifficult to access – for botanists at least – and forthis reason are poorly known. Some are even quitecommon in the trade but little understoodscientifically. An example is C. crispatula var.


Piptospatha ridleyi is a rheophytic aroid that grows in fast-flowing streams and waterfalls in the Malay Peninsula.

tonkinensis, often exported from Thailand but itsactual origin has never been recorded.

The largest species in the genus is also the odd manout. Cryptocoryne ciliata reaches 3ft (1m) tall, isvery widely distributed, easy to grow, and can groweither submersed or as a marginal - the reason beingthat it thrives in river estuaries and tidal mud flats,often in association with Nypa palms andmangroves. The elaborate fringing round the spathelimb probably helps disperse odor to attractpollinators. In common with other aroids of tidalzones, C. ciliata produces relatively large seeds thatgerminate before leaving the plant. When releasedfrom their protective sac, these viviparous seedlingsspread their tuft of juvenile leaflets like littleunderwater parachutes, enabling them to lodgeeasily and develop rapidly in highly unstablesurroundings.

The same disparity between tropical Asia andtropical America in rheophytic aroids also happenswith submersed aquatics. The New World tropicshave hardly any. Jasarum steyermarkii, firstdescribed in 1977, is one of the few, if not the onlytrue aquatic aroid in tropical America. It occurs inacidic black water river systems in both Venezuelaand Guyana, and is closely related to Caladium.The elegant inflorescences are about 6in (15cm)long.

Floating aquaticsSimply floating along on the surface of the waterwould seem to be the easiest option, instead ofstruggling against currents, floods and tides. Thefact that very few flowering plants manage to dothis indicates that it’s a very tricky situation. Stepone is to find the delicate balance between beingsunk by waves and rain, or blowing away when thewind gets up. This in itself needs some cleverengineering. Step two is the challenge faced by allflowering plants that are true aquatics – how tokeep pollen and pollinating insect visitors dry whenthere is water, water, everywhere.

Pistia stratiotes or water lettuce has solved theseproblems by having spongy, densely hairy, totallywater repellent foliage, and long feathery roots thatserve as a keel. These adaptations make the plantunsinkable. Its tiny inflorescences, daringlyproduced at water level, are protected by a raincoatof dense hairs as well. Seen closely, this deceptively

delicate drifter is exquisite. En masse it has asignificant effect on ecology of river systems and isa serious weed of waterways in many parts of thetropics. In addition to spreading by seed, it isstoloniferous, producing plantlets ad infinitum.

Duckweeds such as Lemna aequinoctialis havetaken things a step further still. They have masteredsurface tension by becoming so small that they coatthe surface like a second skin. Some have air-filledcells to maintain buoyancy. Others, amazingly, floatjust beneath the surface. How on earth, or rather onwater, do they do that? Even more amazing is thefact that duckweeds bloom and produce seed. Themicroscopic bisexual flowers have no sepals orpetals and merely protrude above the surface. Theyproduce nectar and spiny pollen, just like anyregular flower, and insects can be seen landing onthese mats of floating vegetation. So next time you

clear the duckweed or water lettuce from yourpond, take a closer look. Aroids rule the waves!They are beyond doubt the most extreme aquaticsof all and belong to the most diverse family offlowering plants on the planet.

Editor’s Note: This information is from anothergreat program that you missed by not attending the2007 Symposium.

© Deni Bown 2007. Photos are from Aroids –Plants of the Arum Family by Deni Bown (TimberPress 2000, ISBN 0-88192-485-7, $34.95). ChapterFour, Aquatics and Amphibians, is devoted towetland aroids.

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Growers Cornerby David Curtright

Pontederia sagittata

Two of the great and obvious advantages ofattending conventions are that you get to meetpeople of common interest, and that you run intoopportunities that you would have missed had youstayed at home. One of the great things about goingto Florida in 2006 to attend the IWGS Seminar, andthere were many, was meeting Dr. Barre Hellquist,the pre-eminent botanist and member of the IWGS.

At some point during our conversation, wediscussed Pontederia, Eichhornia, and relatedgenera, and it came out that he had a species ofPontederia (P. sagittata) that he had collected asseed in Mexico. He described it as having pinkflowers, and a deeply lobed leaf, and said that it wasgrowing in his greenhouse in Massachusetts. I hadmentioned the need for a truly pink Pickerel in thehobby and asked him if I might get a piece of it. Heagreed to send me one and the conversation movedon to other topics.

A short time later I got a package in the mail fromDr. Hellquist. I opened it to find not one, but 6healthy plants, which I immediately moved out tomy yard. I put them into one gallon pots with goodsoil and gave them a tank in a cold frame. By theend of the season I had six very crowded pots,which I moved into my warm greenhouse to becertain of keeping them alive over winter. Thisturned out to be a good move because we had sucha cold winter that I am sure that I would have lostthem if I had left them outside.

Last spring I moved them into several of the pondsthat I take care of in various places around thecounty. Here in San Diego County in California,USA, we have many micro-climes to grow plantsin. We have coastal hills and valleys, which arealways mild enough for most plants. There is theinland area, which is predominately a short, denseforest of drought-tolerant, fire-dependent shrubs, or“chaparral,” that tolerate hot, dry summers andcool, moist winters. We also have mountainous

areas and deserts available to us. After nearly 30years in the pond business in this county, I haveaccess to ponds all over the place, and can testplants in various climates.

Planted in my soil, augmented with two 12-8-8Grow-Power tablets, in two or three gallon pots, P.sagittata will grow to about 30 inches in height. Asingle plant will fill the pot within six weeks. Itsleaves are of normal size for a Pontederia, and arevery deeply lobed. The flowers are of a form typicalto the genus, but are more densely packed than arethose of P. cordata, and are pink with a slight hintof lavender. The flower heads are thick and robustwhen they are fully open, and mixing them withother colors of Pontederia creates a lovely effect asa marginal planting or as a centerpiece. It will growwith equal ease in water only a few inches deep oras deep as a foot over the top of the pot. Theybecome floppy when the water is deeper than that.

I had most of my plants in their respective growingplaces by early June. They all did well right away,producing profusions of large, deep green leavesand those lusty flowers. There has been nodifference in how they have grown, regardless ofwhere they are, and in all instances, they haveperformed wonderfully. As with all Pontederias, itis good to keep them clear of dead flowers andleaves to keep them looking their best. Onedifference between this and other species within thegenus is the persistence of the leaves. P. cordataleaves come off easily with a quick jerk oppositethe direction of growth, but these do not and mustbe cut until they are quite rotted. Most of my plantscontinued to bloom until well into December, andhave maintained foliage through our admittedlymild winter.

It is almost a foregone conclusion that this plantwill enjoy a bright future in our hobby and that forgrowers it represents a plant of great promise.

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Lotus Tour of Southern China, YunnanExcerpts from a Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Report by Pat Clifford

Tour Organizer Grant Mitchell

Being truthful this was the part of the journey that filled me with trepidation but also excitement and with this inmind I flew from Bangkok to Kunming on Monday 23rd July, 2007. Fortunately I met up with the rest of theparty at the Symposium who were also going on to China, so this helped, and we made it safely anduneventfully to Kunming; well apart from one of the group who had problems at immigration because theChinese authorities had never seen a Costa Rican passport, but this was soon sorted out when he pointed out hehad American citizenship.

It was a really mixed group and the whole experience benefited from this.

Figure 1 The Lotus Crew

Back row. Myself, Botanical Background; Walter Pagels, World Renowned Aquatic Specialist, California, USA.Middle row. Nola and Michael Fenech, Commercial Growers, NSW, Australia; Margaret Nichols, Commercial Grower, Texas, USA;The owner of the Guest-house; Pam Shaw, Artist, California, USA/India; Grant Mitchell, Tour Organizer and World Authority onNelumbo nucifera, NSW, Australia; Daughter of the Guest-house owner.Front Row. Dan Schreiber, Ethno-Botanist, Queensland, Australia; Warner Orozco, PhD Student, Auburn University, Alabama, USA.

As you can see it was quite an eclectic mixture, with one thing in common - ‘The Sacred Lotus’ - and with sucha small group everyone soon got to know each other and got on really well.


Figure 2 Tai-Chi

Figure 3 Lagerstroemia indica

KunmingThe first day was spent at a leisurely pace becauseof the altitude difference; Kunming is 1,800Mabove sea-level and we walked to the fabulous CuiLake Park. This is in the heart of the city and hadsome massive lakes which were filled withNelumbo and Nymphaea cultivars and all aroundthe park local women were dancing in large groupsto many different styles of music emanating fromlarge Ghetto-Blasters. In the quieter areas of thepark the older generation were practicing theancient art of Tai Chi amidst some beautifulLagerstroemia indica, which were in full bloom.

Unbelievably we were to visit Kunming during thewettest spell anyone can remember; apparently itrained practically non-stop for twenty-two days.Kunming is known as the city of ‘Eternal Spring.’It had certainly sprung a leak when we were there.


Figure 4 The Bus from Hell

Sha Ping and Strange Dragon Lake

This trip promised to be truly authentic and if anyone was still in doubt the bus trip into the countryside provedit. No luxury hired coach for us, oh no - public transport Chinese style - what an experience. Being 6’ 4’’ tall itwas no fun being squeezed into a seat for six hours that was designed for the average Chinese man, and sharingthe bus with live chickens and locals who continually ate boiled eggs certainly added flavor.

I should add here that finding out any actual facts and figures relating to the places in the rural areas we visitedwas nigh on impossible. Although our guide was fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese he had spent most of histime in Kunming where the dialect of the city is completely different from the outlying areas, so although wehad no problems in finding out the basics, trying to get in-depth information was difficult. This only added tothe excitement of the trip however though as there was always this air of uncertainty and the feeling we weregoing places not many westerners had been before us.

After a rather circuitous route through the beautiful countryside we arrived in the small but rapidly expandingcity of Sha Ping. We were staying in a government hotel where we were awoken at 6 a.m. with stirring martialmusic which was supposed to set us up for the day; personally I’d rather have been woken more serenely. Idecided to stand outside the hotel which was situated on a roundabout and have a smoke but quickly realizedthat I was going to cause an accident because everyone was swerving and slowing to have a look. Myappearance was so alien to the locals, and I suddenly realized I’d finally arrived in ‘China’. From then on I wasconstantly being scrutinized, but far from being disconcerting it was actually quite nice and although the people


Figure 5 Tour Boat

were naturally curious they were ever so friendly. The small children were the best though and the look ofbemusement on their faces was a joy to behold.

We took some taxis the next day to ‘Strange Dragon Lake’ where there were many varieties of Nelumbogrowing naturally and we hired a small boat and spent the day right amongst the Lotus taking loads of picturesand just soaking up the amazing feeling that was created being surrounded by this truly wondrous plant. Thatevening we had dinner on the lake which was prepared by the boatman using only ingredients from the Lake andits environs.

I’m usually quite conservative in my eating habits but on this trip you had to eat what you were given andbecause of this, I tried many dishes throughout the journey that I wouldn’t have dreamt of touching in mywildest dreams. Admittedly some were awful but some were lovely and I’d like to think that since returning I’mnot so fussy and would at least try most things once, another little character building episode. Of course everymeal we ate included some part of the Nelumbo and now I must have eaten every part of the Lotus cooked inevery conceivable way, and an unbelievably versatile plant this proves to be.

‘Lakes Abounding With Fish and Shrimp’

We left Sha Ping aboard another coach bound forour next destination which was a small Shanniminority village on the shores of one of the lakes.This was situated 150 miles South of Sha Ping andwas set in the midst of the ‘Witches Hat Mountains’and was truly the most breathtaking scenery I havehad the pleasure of visiting. I thought my camerawas going to go into meltdown.

There we stayed in a typical Chinese guesthouse thatGrant our guide had stayed in frequently over theyears. He told us how about twelve years before hehad travelled alone to this region from Kunming insearch of these lakes someone had told him about,and he literally stumbled upon this village and as atraveler was befriended by this family. He hadreturned regularly but it had been three years sincehis last visit and he was welcomed like the long lostfriend he was. He was saddened to learn of the deathof the old grandmother whom he had told us somuch about, and wanted us to meet.

My room looked out onto one of the sixteen lakesthis area has become famous for and I couldpractically pick Lotus flowers from my window.This place was so idyllic and peaceful that we werewoken in the morning by the cock crowing atdaybreak, far more civilized than the music in ShaPing. All the meals were prepared and eaten in thecourtyard and it felt like we had been transportedback in time.


Figure 6 View from my window

Over the years as China haschanged politically andeconomically this tranquil partof the world has unfortunatelybeen a victim of the surge ininternal Chinese tourism.Every weekend thousands ofthe more affluent city-dwellersfrom Kunming descend on thearea and turn it into a hugewater playground. This hashappened in the last five yearsand the village we werestaying in has been earmarkedfor demolition to make wayfor a massive tourist resort.Sadly the villagers have noidea what will become ofthem, particularly as they are aminority group which has notfared very well under theChinese government.

Early next morning after our usual breakfast of noodles we headed for the main lake where the tourist boatswere moored. Regrettably it was a Saturday morning and the throngs of tourists had begun to arrive and werearming themselves suitably. Here I have to explain what the Chinese tourists use these beautiful lakes for.

Figure 7 Chinese having "Fun"

They come down from the city in all shapes and sizes, ranging from groups of young men to large family groupsincluding grandparents and they take to the water with the sole aim of soaking anyone they can. They all dress


in full waterproof clothing and arm themselves with pots and pans, bamboo water cannons and high poweredwater blasters. This pastime has really taken off in the last few years and Grant was shocked to see what hadhappened to the place he loved.

Figure 8 How to "behave" on the lake

He decided that our best plan of action was to act completely passive, and this coupled with lots of warningsshouted in Chinese saved us from a soaking. We were the only Westerners on the lakes and the Chinese thoughtit was really funny, this white guy shouting abuse at them in a broad Kunming accent. It was a bit of a shame,but we just paddled clear of the main war-zones and took in the wonderful scenery and Lotus fields. We spentabout six hours on the lake then climbed one of the ‘Witches Hats’ to get an awe-inspiring view of the Lakesystem and the surrounding landscape.

The hike to the top of the hill certainly wasn’t easy and Walter, who is 82 years old, put me to shame. He andDan had already climbed one before breakfast to see the sunrise. On the return journey the boatman dropped usoff right at our guesthouse which backed onto the lake.

That evening we were treated to some entertainment which was provided by the villagers and featuredtraditional Shanni music and dance. It was really enjoyable but also a bit sad as we were watching somethingthat was rapidly dying out.

The next morning was spent wandering through the Lotus lakes and surrounding countryside where the farmerswere mainly growing corn, tobacco, chilies, rice and of course Lotus. Many were still using water buffalo as ameans of transport and harvesting their crops using sickles. Then it was time to get on the dreaded coach, whichI was starting to enjoy in some masochistic way, and return to Kunming.

Great credit must go to Grant Mitchell for organizing this exceptional trip as I don’t think anyone else couldhave pulled it off and I only hope I will be able to join him on another trip in the future. Cheers Grant!

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Neglected Aquaticsby Rowena Burns

Lavender Musk

One cheery, little-appreciated plant that produces ashowy mass of blue/purple flowers in summer isLavender Musk or Mimulus ringens. Blue is a colorunusual in the water garden - as it is in the dry-landgarden. Also known as Monkey Flower, Square-stemmed Monkey Flower and Allegheny MonkeyFlower, M. ringens is actually native to EasternNorth America and quite widespread in distribution.Pond owners often overlook Lavender Musk, sinceit is not blooming in spring when most people shopfor new plants.

Many of the plants I have seen offered for sale are awashed-out blue – a very unexciting flower –however, there is a wide range of colors availablefrom almost white to mauve to lavender to purple.The richest colors are really vivid and make a greatdisplay. Flowers may begin appearing on the tallstems as early as June, and keep bloomingabundantly throughout much of the summer,gradually emerging higher on the plant.Hummingbirds and butterflies sometimes visit theshowy one inch flowers.

Most Mimulus species like lots of moisture, butMimulus ringens is one of the most truly aquatic - itcan be grown in very moist soil or up to 2” over thecrown (possibly a little deeper too, e.g. 4”/10cm).Late in fall, you will find spiky offsets forming,which will form new plants in the spring. The stemswill grow one to three feet in height, with pointed,serrated leaves about two inches long clasping thestalk in pairs. It doesn’t take long to get a bigflowering clump – but be cautious in planting at theside of a large pond, since it has the potential tomultiply extensively.

Monkey flower, in fact, is used as a name for manyMimulus species and hybrids - their flowers aresupposed to resemble the face of a laughingmonkey. While M. ringens is the hardiest of theMimulus, able to grow from Texas to northernQuebec (USDA Zone 3-9), there are two otherNorth American natives worthy of use in the watergarden: M. guttatus, the yellow monkey flower, and

M. cardinalis, with bright scarlet flowers. TheseMimulus, and most others, like to be very wet ratherthan underwater, though if placed in a streamenvironment with moving, oxygenated waterpassing their roots, often do very well. One notablebright scarlet annual hybrid - M. ‘Lothian Fire’ -looks spectacular in a stream. A good start whenlooking for pictures is http://plants.usda.gov.

Mimulus ringens is a member of the snapdragonfamily, which is evident from the flower. Somemistake it for a mint, due to the square stem;however, it is quickly obvious from the lack ofscent that this is not in the mint family. The flowershave a yellow or white center, which is sometimesbrightly contrasting to the lavender flower. Ideally,the plant grows best and the flowers are most vividin partly shaded locations, however, the plant willbloom in full sun and also very shady areas.

For an easy-care marginal water plant, LavenderMusk can’t be surpassed. This is definitely a worthyaddition to the marginal shelf in your pond.

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Pest Control in Waterlilies without Toxic Synthetic Chemicalsby Andre Leu

This is the first part of a series of articles that willlook at the many techniques that can be used tocontrol pests and diseases in water plants withoutusing synthetic pesticides.

Non-Residual Natural SpraysSpraying pesticides and fungicides should beregarded as the tools of last resort. Ideally a goodgardener tries to avoid pests by having healthyfertile soil/potting medium and good biodiversity.However there are certain pests that canperiodically cause major damage if they are notcontrolled at critical times.

Constant monitoring and timely action can controlthese before they increase into a significantproblem.

Monitoring and Only Spraying Hot SpotsMany natural sprays are broad spectrum, killingboth pest and beneficial species. The best approachis to avoid complete cover sprays of the waterplants, unless using a spray that only targets aspecific pest such as Bacillus thuringiensis.

When using broad spectrum sprays such as naturalpyrethrum, potassium soaps, diatomaceous earth orvegetable oils, monitor the plants and establish theareas that have the highest numbers of the pest.These areas are the ‘Hot Spots.’ Only spray the hotspots. This allows the beneficial species to survivein the rest of the crop and they will help to givegood control.

Killing all the beneficial species can lead to anincrease in the pests and also allow new pests to getestablished. One of the important differencesbetween natural insecticides and most syntheticpesticides is that most natural formulationsbiodegrade within 24 hours or become plantnutrients.

The lack of persistence means that they need to beapplied more often. Monitoring is crucial todetermine the best time and places to spray.

Avoid calendar spraying such as weekly orfortnightly etc. This can result in spraying whenthere are no pests and not spraying when there arepests. Always monitor and check pest levels beforedeciding on the appropriate control strategy. I oftenfind after monitoring pest numbers following aspray application, that another spray two days laterwill give excellent pest control.

The only time it is useful to apply pesticides andfungicides on a regular cyclical basis is when this isbased on known life cycles. This timing should beusually based on the period after eggs hatch tobefore they are mature enough to reproduce. Threeof these life cycles are usually sufficient tosignificantly disrupt the breeding cycle of mostpests.

Spray RatesAlways do a small mix of a few liters/pints and dotrial spraying with a backpack. This is to assess theefficacy and also if the spray damages the plant.Some water plants like lotus leaves are easilydamaged by sprays. It is pointless to spray theplants if the spray has no effect on the pest ordisease or if the spray damages the plant. Test morethan one area. Do a few replicates of both the testspray sites and controls (areas with no spray) so thatyou can accurately compare results. It is best to startwith weaker mixtures and gradually strengthenthem to the point where they are effective incontrolling the pest but not harming the crop.Record your results so that you can refer back tothem next time. This is good practice for all sprays,including those that are mixed up and applied perthe label.

Examples of Effective Sprays

BiologicalsBiological sprays are derived from naturalorganisms. Many people have failures withbiologicals, due to not realizing that they aredealing with living organisms rather than achemical. Biologicals need to live in suitable


conditions to be effective. It is important tounderstand these requirements otherwise they diesoon after application and are useless.

This is one of the fundamental reasons why theresults of biological products can be unreliable.They can work exceptionally well in some trials andhave no effect in others.

As an example: Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki(BT) is very effective in the control of caterpillarson waterlily leaves.

It is most effective when the caterpillars are in theearly stages of growth. It works only when thecaterpillar ingests the living bacteria. These bacteriamake sharp protein crystals called lectins thatdestroy the digestive system of the pest. The pestsimmediately stop feeding and die over a few days.

BT is killed by ultraviolet light. Spraying it out inthe morning or middle of the day can kill it before ithas a chance to work. It is important to spray in thelate afternoon or early evening so that it can workall night. It will die in the sunlight of the followingday. The product is sold as a dormant spore. It isbest to culture this for several hours to break thedormancy and get the spores to grow and multiplyas active bacteria. This increases the odds ofcaterpillars eating the BT.

Just mixing the spore powder with water andspraying will mean that it will take several hoursafter spraying before any bacteria will becomeactive. By the time the numbers of bacteria aremultiplying they will be killed by the morning sun.

The most effective method is to mix the sporepowder in milk or a diluted water and molasses mixand leave in a shaded area for a few hours. Thecultured mix is later added to bonding agent such asan emulsified vegetable oil. The oil will ensure thedroplets will stick to the leaves of the plants whensprayed.

Effective Rates:Five gms of BT mixed with 25 mls of molasses andtwo liters of water for two to three hours. Ten mlsof an emulsified vegetable oil (Spray-tech Oil,Synetrol Oil, Eco Oil) is then blended into this. Thiswill make five to ten liters of spray.

Non-Toxic Sprays

Emulsified Vegetable Oils are very effective atkilling all arthropods (insects and related species).These work by clogging the breathing pores so thatthey suffocate. It is important to ensure completecoverage of the pest species.

Natural Soap Sprays such as potassium soaps killinsects by dissolving the outer cuticle and also byclogging the breathing pores.

Clays, Flour and water. These types of sprayswork by clogging up the breathing pores.

Diatomaceous Earth. This works by both cloggingup the breathing pores and the fine silica sharpsshred the joints of the pests.

These types of sprays are non-specific and will killbeneficials so they should only be used on ‘HotSpots.’ The oils and soaps can also burn leaves ifused at strong rates so it is important to do testsprays first, especially on lotus.

Toxic Natural SpraysNatural Pyrethrum is very effective for everypest, as at this stage no insect has developedresistance to it. This is because it is a naturalextraction of a mixture of different pyrethrums,with every batch having different combinations.This means if an insect pest begins to developresistance against one batch, the following year’sbatch of natural pyrethrum will be different enoughto ensure that the pests have no resistance to it.

Pyrethrum is a nerve poison and has causedblindness in people who have been exposed to it. Itis highly toxic to all cold-blooded animals,especially fish and frogs, so it must be used withcare. It completely breaks down in four hours inwarm-blooded animals and in 24 hours in thenatural environment leaving no toxic residue.

Rotenone – Derris Dust. This is a very toxic andeffective nerve poison for all species especially coldblooded animals such as insects, fish and frogs.Like natural pyrethrum it completely breaks downin a few hours in warm-blooded animals and in 24hours in the natural environment.


Eucalyptus Oil is highly toxic. As little as ateaspoon can kill a child. Used correctly it makes avery effective insecticide.

All of these insecticides work by contact with theinsects. Mixing them with soaps ensures they workmore effectively as the soap dissolves the outercuticle of insects allowing the toxin to penetratemore effectively.

When the soap and toxin mixture is combined withthe vegetable oil bonding agent they are even moreeffective. The oils ensure the spray droplets stick tothe pest. Also the oils can smother the pests and thesoap damages the cuticle, giving three modes ofaction.

Never use these types of sprays as cover sprays asthey are highly toxic and disruptive to beneficialpredators. They should be restricted to ‘Hot Spot’spraying.

RepellentsSeveral compounds have been shown to workeffectively by repelling rather than killing the pests.These have major advantages as they protect thecrop without killing the beneficials.

Examples of these are garlic, chili, tea tree oil,lavender oil and citronella oil (this oil can alsoattract some species like fruit flies due to theeugenol content).

Editor’s Note:

I want to thank Andre Leu for volunteering to writethis interesting column.

The following areas will be covered in futureissues:

1. Non-residual natural sprays2. Modifying environment to add more

predators3. Diversionary feeding and trapping pests4. Improving plant health

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2009 Symposium

The BOD, after much discussion, has announced thatthe 2009 IWGS Symposium will be hosted by GregWittstock of Aquascapes Inc. (formerly ADI) fromChicago, IL, USA, with Jim Wullschleger of AIbeing the point man on the initial phase of theSymposium.

Plans are already being made for this interestingSymposium, so if you want your ideas to be a partof it, please contact the IWGS office.

Also, 2010 is scheduled to be an international year,so the BOD is exploring sites for the 2010 IWGSSymposium as well.

Newsletter Competition

Cathy Green has announced that the NewsletterCompetition entry date has been extended to October10, 2008. Please send three samples from the year2007 of your e newsletter to [email protected]. Moreinformation is available on www.iwgs.org, then go to:activities-e newsletter contest.

Excerpt from Registrar Letter Received

I am pleased to tell you that at its meeting inWageningen, The Netherlands on 16 October 2007the International Society for Horticultural ScienceCommission approved the reappointment of theIWGS as the International Cultivar RegistrationAuthority for the family Nymphaeaceae for furtherfour years. On behalf of the Commission can I takethis opportunity to thank you for the good work youhave done in this role and to say that we lookforward to following further progress in yourannual reports.

Dr. A.C. LeslieSecretary

ISHS Commission forNomenclature and Cultivar Registration

IWGS Happenings

News & Notes


Book Review

Edible Water Gardens: Growing Water-Plants for Food and Profit

by Nick RomanowskiPublished in Australia in 2007 by Hyland House Publishing Pty Ltd

Reviewed by Walter Pagels

The title of this book may not seem to be a subject of interest to most of the readers of this Journal; nonetheless, itis known that aquatic plants were originally of interest to mankind primarily as a possible source of food. Some of ourlongtime readers of the Water Garden Journal will remember the article*: 'Aquatic Plants as Food, Medicine andFiber' written by Peter Slocum in which he said "I would believe that we would enjoy knowing a little more aboutwhat some of the water plants we commonly cultivate have meant to generations past."

This book Edible Water Gardens: Growing Water-Plants for Food and Profit is the first complete worldwideguide of aquatic plants that are or have been grown or collected for food. It was written by an author with over 30years experience in aquatic culture and contains 147 pages and a like number of color photographs.

The first chapter covers the general requirements of all aquatic plants. This considers the ecological requirements ofeach plant including water hardness, temperature, and conditions of potential hydrogen ion concentration (pH). In thediscussion of aquatic fertilizers the author compares the relative merits of synthetic fertilizers (made from inorganicchemicals) with natural fertilizers (composted manure with blood and bone meal). He concludes that for aquaticplants natural fertilizers have an advantage over synthetic fertilizers. An experiment on how to prove this for yourselfis given.

The book has special chapters on the plants that can be most efficiently raised in various fresh waterenvironments: deep ponds, shallow ponds, waterlogged soils, and seasonal wetlands. An example of a temperateseasonal wetland is land that is flooded in the spring but dries out in the summer. Each chapter contains photographsof individual plants along with landscapes that contain them.

Aseparate chapter is devoted to our favorite plant families, the Nelumbonaceae (Lotus) and Nymphaeaceae(waterlily). Virtually all parts of the lotus are edible and the cut flowers are popular all over the Far East. Althoughwaterlilies are not as popular as food, they can be grown for cut flowers. The author acknowledges that a disturbingtrait ofhardy waterlilies is that the flowers have a habit of closing at night. To overcome this he recommends apreparation method that will cause a flower bud to "open in the dark and remain open for days." This is animprovement over the traditional waxed flower method** usually described.

The book has a separate chapter to include the rare aquatic plants that had been eaten in at least some part of theworld. These include Water Parsnip, the leaves cooked as a vegetable in Italy; Pond Apple, a fruit made into jelliesand wine in South America; Swamp Millet, the young tops being cut off and eaten raw in southern Asia; and mintleaves used around the world for flavoring. This chapter describes over 60 plant species with 45 ofthem illustrated. Some of these plants have fallen out of favor because they require special treatment to remove toxinsor are not particularly flavorful when compared to alternative foods now available. These plants were included for thesake of completeness.

Some of the aquatic plants included in the book have uses other than as food for human consumption. Just as corn isoften grown for food, fuel or animal feed, the same is true for some aquatic plant products. One plant that watergardeners consider a noxious weed is Azolla, called Mosquito Fern in Australia but more graciously known as FairyMoss in the USA and England. Azolla accommodates a symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacterium which converts nitrogenfrom the air into a fertilizer that higher plants can assimilate directly. Consequently, all Azolla species can beused for fertilizing taro and rice fields or used as a weed-free mulch on terrestrial plant beds.


Duckweeds are food raised primarily for livestock (cattle, pigs and poultry). These plants grow so quickly they can beharvested every three to four days (I saw them listed in a USA catalog for $80 a bushel). However, Wolffiaspecies, known as 'khai-nam' in Asia, is grown for human consumption in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Bangladesh.This plant yields around 20% protein by dry weight. This should be a winner for vegetarians.

Most books on aquaculture concentrate on the raising of fish and other aquatic animals, with barely any discussion ofedible aquatic plants. This book considers the possibility of harvesting plants as food from the same waters as usedfor fish culture. With proper choice of plant and fish species, both could be raised together, where the waste productsfrom the fish fertilize the plants. This is already similar to what some pond keepers do for their garden ponds to keepthe pond healthy.

Because the science of plant biology is continually evolving with the revisions of scientific nomenclature, the authoruses the second edition (1997) of The Plant Book: A Portable Dictionary of the Vascular Plants by D. Mabberley as abasic reference. Therefore, if you are astounded (as I was) by reading that the common North American speciesAzolla filiculoides is a synonym of A. mexicana, A. microphylla, and A. caroliniana, you are seeing a sampling of thenomenclature war between the splitters and the lumpers.

The book lists approximately 280 reference books and articles. For anyone wishing to pursue further reading on aparticular plant, he/she will find a separate index for all the references containing information about the plant. You donot have to search though the hundreds of references and try to interpret the title to determine the contents.

To keep the reader from running to the dictionary for botanical definitions, the author provides a short glossary in theback pages.

In conclusion, I recommend this book for its overall information on the growth and propagation of all aquatic plantsfor food or water gardening.

* Slocum, Peter D. (1989) 'Aquatic Plants as Food, Medicine and Fiber'. Water Garden Journal V(3):8-16**Fairbanks, D. C. (1932) 'Keeping the Water-lilyAwake'. Missouri Botanical Garden Bulletin XX(7):99-101

Commentary

In the history of mankind it is generally agreed that civilization began when we started to grow plants for food ratherthan searching for them. The profit part came when civilization allowed a division of labor into many sectorsallowing plant growers to concentrate on their specialty and make enough extra for trade or sale to secure the othernecessities of life. Depending on what part of the world where any tribe of people found themselves, the kind of foodraised depended upon the climate and terrain upon where they lived. Therefore, it is not strange that in some parts ofthe world the majority of food plants grew on land saturated with water while other parts concentrated on terrestrialplants. In the more recent centuries, as civilization spread over the world, mankind often found it easier (and moreprofitable) to carry along their traditional farming methods to the new land rather than adapt to the environment. Thiswas done by modifying the land: if too dry, add water (irrigation), if too wet, remove water (drainage canals). As timewent on, it was determined that this was not ecologically correct. The overuse of irrigation on dry land causedthe deposit of minerals poisonous to plants, and the removal of water from wetlands caused a lowering of groundwater which caused a shortage of water to cities or an infiltration of salt water from the ocean. In many cases,governments are seeing the error of these ways and attempting to return the altered land into its original state. Thiscalls for some innovation in agriculture on how to adapt to the inevitable changes being encountered in the worldtoday.

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Front Cover Photo:

Cover Photo isThe eastern skunk cabbage, Lysichiton camtschatcensis

Photo from Aroids: Plants of the Arum Family by DeniBown (Timber Press 2000, ISBN 0-88192-485-7,

$34.95).

Mission Statement—The International Waterlily &Water Gardening Society (IWGS), is a non-profitorganization of multinational membership dedicated tothe furtherance of all aspects of water gardens and theirassociated plants. As an organization we support andpromote education, research, and conservation in theseareas.

Volume 23, Number 1. The IWGS Water GardenJournal (ISSN 1069-5982) is published quarterly by TheInternational Waterlily and Water Gardening Society(The Society), 340 Old Quarry Lane, P.O. Box 602,Greenville VA 24440, USA. Phone 540-337-9344 Fax:540-337-0738, Email [email protected]. All rights reserved.© 2008. The Water Garden Journal is indexed inEBSCO’s Garden, Landscape & Horticulture LiteratureIndex.

Postage paid at Greenville VA, USA and additionalmailing offices. Basic subscription/ membership rate forone full year is $30 for the online Journal. Hard copy canbe mailed for an additional $25 per year. Further detailsand back issues are available from the administrativeoffice in VA. All changes of address and incidents ofnon-arrival of journals should be notified to the office inVA. Opinions expressed by authors and any productsreviewed are not specifically endorsed by The Society,nor does The Society accept any liability arising from thecontents of this journal.

THE WATER GARDEN JOURNALVolume 23 Number 1

EDITOR FRED MCCORKLEEDITORIAL BOARD JAMES ALLISON

PAULA BILESBARRE HELLQUISTWALTER PAGELS

DISTRIBUTION KEITH FOLSOMIWGS WEBMASTER RANDALL TATE

The Official Publication of theINTERNATIONAL WATERLILY AND

WATER GARDENING SOCIETY

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETYPRESIDENT TISH FOLSOMVICE PRESIDENT JIM PURCELLTREASURER ROWENA BURNSSECRETARY ROBERT BURNSEXEC. DIRECTOR KEITH FOLSOM

BOARD OF DIRECTORSStephen Blessing, Robert Burns, Rowena Burns

Tish Folsom, Cathy Green, Grant MitchellLarry Nau, Rolf Nelson, Suzan Phillips, Jim Purcell

Thomas Tilley, Dael Wright, Charles Thomas

www.iwgs.org

REGISTRARSNymphaea Registration

Jim Purcell – [email protected] Liechti – [email protected]

Nelumbo RegistrationKen Tilt – [email protected]

ADMINISTRATIVE ADDRESS andSUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES

International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society340 Old Quarry Lane, PO Box 602

Greenville VA 24440540-337-9344

Fax: [email protected]

EDITORIAL ADDRESS

Fred McCorkleIWGS Water Garden Journal

P. O. Box 7554, North Port, FL 34287 USA

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international waterlily and water gardening society · of aroids (araceae) bydeni bown page 11...

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