Floribundus Sword

Geographical Origin and Habitat: South America, widely distributed from Brazil to Argentina. Found in marshes, riverbanks, and seasonal wetlands.

Taxonomy & Genetics: Family Alismataceae, genus Echinodorus. Historically related to or confused with Echinodorus grandiflorus.

Physical Structure: A massive rosette plant with broad, heart-shaped (cordate) leaves on thick, upright petioles. Produces a very extensive root system.

Color & Texture: Bright light-green leaves with prominent rib-like veins and a slightly wavy, textured surface.

Lighting & CO2: Requires moderate to high light levels. CO2 injection is optional but significantly accelerates leaf production and overall size.

Nutrition & Substrate: Demands a deep, rich substrate. Heavy root feeder; insertion of root tabs containing iron and macronutrients is mandatory for health.

Water Chemistry: Highly adaptable, tolerates pH 5.0-7.5, and soft to hard water. Grows best in temperatures between 18 and 28 °C.

Space Management & Placement: Suitable only for the background of large aquariums due to its broad growth habit and final size.

Pruning: Prune older, yellowing outer leaves at the base of the rosette to manage its size and encourage fresh central growth.

Risks & Diseases: Iron deficiency leads to chlorosis, where new leaves turn pale, yellowish, or transparent. Remedied by root-level iron supplementation.