Cardamine lyrata
Encyclopedia
Cardamine lyrata, known commonly as Japanese cress and Chinese ivy, is a species of aquatic plant
in the mustard family
. It is native to the marshes of eastern China
and Siberia
, as well as Korea
and Japan
. It flowers from May to June in the wild, with seeds ripening through September. The flowers are bisexual
and are pollinated by insects, but are also self-fertile.
The species is cultivated as an aquarium
ornamental
. It needs a supply of cool, slow-moving water and strong light. It can grow rapidly under the right conditions and makes an attractive, bushy plant. It can be grown in pond
s as long as the water temperature does not exceed about 82°F (28°C). It propagates easily by cuttings
and high levels of carbon dioxide
speed growth. Some fish will nibble on the leaves.
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
in the mustard family
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....
. It is native to the marshes of eastern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, as well as Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It flowers from May to June in the wild, with seeds ripening through September. The flowers are bisexual
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
and are pollinated by insects, but are also self-fertile.
The species is cultivated as an aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
ornamental
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
. It needs a supply of cool, slow-moving water and strong light. It can grow rapidly under the right conditions and makes an attractive, bushy plant. It can be grown in pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s as long as the water temperature does not exceed about 82°F (28°C). It propagates easily by cuttings
Vegetative reproduction
Vegetative reproduction is a form of asexual reproduction in plants. It is a process by which new individuals arise without production of seeds or spores...
and high levels of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
speed growth. Some fish will nibble on the leaves.