Archerleaf is a grassy perennial from the Chastuhovye family. The plant can also be found under the name "sagittaria" or "bog." It lives near fresh water bodies, rivers, swamps or directly in them. The arrowhead is widespread in the temperate climatic zone of the entire globe. It is used for landscaping ponds or decorating aquariums. Some aquarists create entire compositions exclusively from sagittaria. Also in some countries, the culture is used as food. To get a beautiful crown and delicate flowers, you must follow some rules of care. Then the exquisite plant will settle in the pond for a long time.
Botanical Description
Archerleaf (sagittaria) is an evergreen herbaceous plant. Its root system is represented by cord-shaped processes on which rounded tubers are located. Rhizome is located close to the surface of the soil. For normal development, the root must be immersed in water. The ground part can exist both in the water column and on its surface. A thin stalk consists of a porous tissue that is filled with air bubbles. Its length can be from 20 cm to 1.1 m.
The leaves of one plant may vary in shape depending on the habitat. Underwater foliage is represented by narrow and long leaf plates. They are able to grow 120 cm in length. The surface foliage has a long stalk, and a leaf plate in the shape of a triangular arrowhead is located on the surface. The length of such a sheet is 25-30 cm. Relief veins are clearly visible on it, which extend from the center to the vertices of the triangle.
In mid-June, small racemose inflorescences appear on the arrowhead, which persist until the end of summer. The buds in it are arranged in whorls. At the top are staminate flowers, and at the base are pistil flowers. The corolla consists of a convex, spherical core and three rounded white petals. The diameter of the flower can be 1.2-5 cm. Terry varieties are found.
After pollination by insects, fruits are tied - hard rounded achenes with many flat seeds. Seeds easily separate from the ripened fruit independently and the flow carries them over long distances.
Types of arrowhead
The genus of the arrowhead has about 40 species and several decorative varieties.
Arrowsman ordinary. The plant has a bright green shoot, which consists of filamentary underwater and swept air leaves. Surface leaves are located on dense, erect petioles. The size of the leaf plate is 7-16 cm. Blooms in July with simple white flowers collected in racemose inflorescences.
Sagittaria dwarf. A plant up to 10 cm high forms a dense curtain of bright green narrow leaves. The species is most often used to decorate aquariums.
Arrow-shaped awl-shaped. The species has narrow leaves 7-20 cm long. It is adapted for land and underwater cultivation. Leaf rosettes consist of green or green-brown narrow leaves. It is unpretentious and tolerates pruning well.
Arrowsman floating. You can meet this plant in shallow water and along the river banks. Its long stalk releases swept oval leaves along its entire length. At the base is a rosette of foliage.
Reproduction and planting
Reproduction of sagittaria is produced by seed and vegetative methods. Since the arrowhead is very easily propagated by dividing the curtain and processes, there is no need to engage in sowing seeds. At the end of autumn or spring, a part of the shoots are separated from the thick curtain, together with soil, and carefully planted in a new place. Tubers form at the ends of shoots in November. An adult plant grows up to 15 tubers per season. They can be separated and planted in moist soil.
Arrows are planted in fertile, silty and well-moistened soil. It is convenient to use fine silted sand with a layer of up to 3 cm over the entire surface of the bottom of the aquarium. It is important to leave the root neck on the surface. The plant can exist not only in the water column, but also located completely on land. Landing in stagnant water is allowed at a depth of 10-30 cm. Of course, the arrowhead can develop at a depth of 5 m, but then it will not produce flowers and surface leaves.
Care Rules
Archerleaf is a very undemanding plant that easily adapts to living conditions. For better development, he should choose a place with diffused light. Direct sunlight is allowed for a short time. In complete shade, the color of the greens will not be so saturated. The optimal duration of daylight hours is 10-12 hours.
When growing aquariums, it is important to monitor the transparency of the water. Various suspensions quickly settle and form a film on the leaves. This interferes with natural processes and inhibits plant growth. It is necessary to constantly use water filters, and once a week to replace a quarter of the volume of water.
The optimum temperature of air and water is + 18 ... + 25 ° C. Cooling up to + 10 ... + 14 ° C is allowed. In the natural environment, the arrowhead normally hibernates in open waters. Even if the water freezes, the tubers remain unscathed and spring new shoots.
Plants that are grown on land must be watered frequently and plentifully. Earth should never dry completely. It is recommended to use pots without drainage holes, which, in addition to soil, will be filled to the brim with water. During the period of reproduction and flowering, it is useful to make mineral dressing in a proportion of 1.5-2 g for every 100 liters of liquid.
Plant use
Shooter will perfectly decorate the coastal zone of any reservoir or aquarium. It simultaneously corresponds to the natural and exotic styles of landscape design. Against the background of lush greenery, any other plants will look quite harmonious. The neighborhood with the arrowhead is completely safe, as it is not aggressive.
Tubers rich in starch and other useful elements are used in cooking. They contain tannins, vitamins, organic acids, disaccharides, minerals, flavonoids. They are much more nutritious than ordinary potatoes. The raw product is very bitter, but after heat treatment the bitterness goes away. From China to France, tubers are used to make side dishes and main courses. Dried and crushed raw materials are added to baking.
In folk medicine, arrowhead leaves are used. They are used externally in fresh form or in the form of decoctions. Such drugs treat fungal and infectious skin diseases, stop bleeding and accelerate wound healing.
