# weird long stalks



## RockabillyChick (Nov 18, 2005)

i bought some bulbs from walmart and dropped them in my tank. i dont know what kind they are. this one has 10+ 5-6" long leaves that are about 1/2" wide. 

its now sending up two long stalks, one has already reached the top of the tank and is poking about 3" above the water (it literally grew those 3" lastnight, was just at the waters surface when i went to bed, this morning, its' 3" above) the second one is about 2" tall.

are these flower stalks? should i cut them off, or let them bloom?


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## CroW (Sep 5, 2005)

Sounds like an Aponogeton of some sort, I have two of these in my 55, they grow like mad and bloom at the water's surface. I just let mine go and they seem to be fine, I have 6 stalks flowering right now..
From the bulbs I've gotten from Wal-Mart it seems to be craps shoot as to which species you might have. I say just let it grow unless you don't like the way it looks.

Check here for more info on that plant..


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## RockabillyChick (Nov 18, 2005)

yeah, thats it. what does the flower look like? the stalk is like 3" above the waters surface and doesnt look like its opened yet.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

The flowers are tiny, clustered on a weird fork-shaped inflorescence which has two curvy prongs. The flowers are white with teeeny-tiny yellow stamens.
The flowers grow on separate stalks, which are the long round ones you have.
If you rub two flowers together really well at full bloom, they will pollinate and produce extremely tiny seeds. These seeds will drop back down into the water where they'll eventually make new plants sometimes.
These Aponogetons have a habit of dying back rapidly, leaving you to think they've died. They haven't. In several weeks they'll start growing again.


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