Amazon sword (Echinodorus 'Bleherae'): grower data and names

What the grower data says

Tropica rates the Amazon sword easy, with low light and low CO2 demand, and describes it as undemanding, 20–50 cm tall and a hardy solitary plant for beginners and experienced keepers with quite large aquariums ^[1]. Its growth rate is blank on Tropica’s pages, so that rating is not published by this grower ^[2].

Aquasabi’s profile fills the gap but disagrees on light: it rates growth fast and light demand medium, with a care height of 20–60 cm, water up to “hard” and no need for added CO2 ^[3]. Both agree it is easy. The light disagreement is less sharp than it looks. Tropica explains that the plant does well even in poorly lit tanks because it grows toward the light ^[1]; in other words, it tolerates dim conditions by getting taller.

Placement and planting

This is a centerpiece plant. Tropica calls it a solitary plant for quite large aquariums ^[1], and Aquasabi lists it as a background and solitaire plant ^[3]. The practical consequence is shade: Tropica says it needs pruning to prevent it depriving the plants underneath of light ^[1].

Tropica’s description adds that a nutritious bottom promotes growth ^[1], and its fertilizer guide recommends nutrient capsules in the substrate for large and sturdy plants, releasing nutrients over 6–9 months ^[4]. A big rooted rosette with a substrate-feeding root system is the case root tabs are made for; see root tabs and nutrient substrates.

When it arrives as a bunch rather than a pot, Tropica’s instructions are to remove the anchor, split the bunch into separate plants, remove damaged leaves and plant them with some distance between them in the substrate ^[2].

Growth and propagation

Neither grower page used here describes how the Amazon sword propagates in the aquarium. Tropica’s note that it has been sold under the name ‘Paniculatus’ ^[1] is worth knowing when comparing older labels and books.

Names and taxonomy

The name on the label is in flux. The World Checklist of Vascular Plants accepts Aquarius grisebachii (Small) Christenh. & Byng, a combination published in 2018, in the water-plantain family Alismataceae ^[5]. It lists Echinodorus grisebachii Small as a synonym, together with several names once used for aquarium swords, including Echinodorus bleherae Rataj, E. amazonicus Rataj and E. parviflorus Rataj ^[5]. The trade name ‘Bleherae’ is a relic of that last group of names.

WCVP gives a native range across tropical America: Bolivia, northern and west-central Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, French Guiana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela ^{[5, 6]}. Tropica’s grower data says “South America” ^[1], which covers most but not all of that range.