Corkscrew vallisneria

essabee

Prolific Poster
Jan 17, 2007
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Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
Vallisneria tortifolia, Vallisneria cantortionnist, Vallisneria asiatica, and Vallisneria americana are synonymous or different species? If they are separate species can someone tell them apart? If they are all refer to the same plant - then what is the correct specie name?
 

essabee

Prolific Poster
Jan 17, 2007
49
0
6
74
Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
There is an old saying - Any fool can ask a question that wise men cannot answer.

So this fool went looking for the answer and got confused further. According to the "Catalogue of Life: 2010 Annual Checklist" there are 12 species with accepted scientific names under the genus Vallisneria.

I) Vallisneria americana Michx. Synonym Vallisneria neotropicalis Vict.

II) Vallisneria anhuiensis X.S.Shen

III) Vallisneria annua S.W.L.Jacobs & K.A.Frank

IV) Vallisneria australis S.W.L.Jacobs & Les Synonym Vallisneria spiralis var. procera

V) Vallisneria erecta S.W.L.Jacobs

VI) Vallisneria longipedunculata X.S.Shen

VII) Vallisneria nana R.Br. Synonyms 1) Vallisneria gigantea Graebn. 2) Vallisneria gracilis F.M.Bailey

IIX) Vallisneria natans (Lour.) H.Hara Synonyms 1) Vallisneria americana var. biwaensis (Miki) Lowden 2)Vallisneria asiatica Miki 3) Vallisneria asiatica var. biwaensis Miki 4) Vallisneria asiatica var. higoensis Miki 5)Vallisneria biwaensis (Miki) Ohwi 6) Vallisneria densiserrulata (Makino) Makino 7) Vallisneria higoensis (Miki) Ohwi 8.)Vallisneria minor Ito 9) Vallisneria natans var. biwaensis (Miki) H.Hara 10) Vallisneria natans var. higoensis (Miki) H.Hara 11) Vallisneria physkium Juss. ex Spreng., nom. illeg. 12) Vallisneria spiralis forma minor (Ito) Makino 13)Vallisneria spiralis var. densiserrulata Makino 14) Vallisneria spiralis var. subulispatha Makino 15)Vallisneria spiraloides Roxb. 16) Vallisneria subulispatha (Makino) Koidz.

IX) Vallisneria rubra (Rendle) Les & S.W.L.Jacobs

X) Vallisneria spinulosa S.Z.Yan

XI) Vallisneria spiralis L. Synonyms 1) Vallisneria aethiopica Fenzl 2) Vallisneria jacquiniana Spreng. 3)Vallisneria jacquinii Savi 4) Vallisneria linnet Bercht. & J.Presl 5) Vallisneria micheliana Spreng. 6)Vallisneria michelii Savi 7) Vallisneria numidica Pomel 8.) Vallisneria pusilla Barbieri ex Bertol. 9)Vallisneria spiralis forma aethiopica (Fenzl) T.Durand & Schinz 10) Vallisneria spiralis subvar. jacquinii (Savi) Nyman 11)Vallisneria spiralis subvar. michelii (Savi) Nyman 12) Vallisneria spiralis var. numidica (Pomel) Maire & Weiller 13)Vallisneria spiralis var. pusilla (Barbieri ex Bertol.) Nyman

XII) Vallisneria triptera S.W.L.Jacobs & K.A.Frank

I know that the earliest Vallisneria specie was named Vallisneria spirallis; not because of any corkscrew leaves but because the closed fertilised female flower being drawn back into submerged position from the surface by the peduncle spiraling like a coiled spring and the ensuing fruit maturing under water. The leaves of this specie are flat tape-like and this is not the corkscrew vallisneria we have in our aquarium.

I would be eternally grateful if someone directs me to a source on the net where I could find authentic description of the species listed in my post.