Ceratophyllum demersum (Rigid Hornwort)

Ceratophyllum demersum (Rigid Hornwort) is a species of Ceratophyllum, with a cosmopolitan distribution in temperate and tropical regions. It is very popular fish tank plants, often used as a floating freshwater aquarium plants in both coldwater and tropical aquaria, though it may attach itself to the substrate or objects in the aquarium by roots. Its fluffy, filamentous, bright-green green leaves provide excellent cover for newly-hatched fish. It is propagated by cuttings.

It is a submerged aquatic plant, growing in still or very slow-moving water in ponds and streams with summer water temperatures of 15-30 °C and a rich nutrient status, rooting in mud at the bottom of the water. The stems reach lengths of 1–3 m, with numerous side shoots making a single specimen appear as a large, bushy mass. The leaves are produced in whorls of six to twelve, each leaf 8–40 mm long, simple, or forked into two to eight thread-like segments edged with spiny teeth; they are stiff and brittle. It is monoecious, with separate male and female flowers produced on the same plant. The flowers are small, 2 mm long, with eight or more greenish-brown petals; they are produced in the leaf axils. The fruit is a small nut 4–5 mm long, usually with three spines, two basal and one apical, 1–12 mm long. Plants with the two basal nut spines very short are sometimes distinguished as Ceratophyllum demersum var. apiculatum (Cham.) Asch., and those with no basal spines sometimes distinguished as Ceratophyllum demersum var. inerme Gay ex Radcl.

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