Water lettuce trimming...creates a giant single plant?

[knifegill]

I put a head of water lettuce into my Oscar's tank for kicks. Over the course of the week, it grew to over 7" in diameter, and popped out six shooters. I don't need a green mess, so I pinched off all the shoots and now I'm wondering where the new growth will go. Will mama just keep trying to produce more offspring or will she become the lettuce that ate Cincinnati?

 

[MDK500]

I put a head of water lettuce into my Oscar's tank for kicks. Over the course of the week, it grew to over 7" in diameter, and popped out six shooters. I don't need a green mess, so I pinched off all the shoots and now I'm wondering where the new growth will go. Will mama just keep trying to produce more offspring or will she become the lettuce that ate Cincinnati?

If you cut the shooters it will keep sending out more but also the "mother" will keep growing too.

 

[knifegill]

Nice. Any estimates on potential diameter for these babies? Are we talking a foot?

 

[Pomatomus]

Yes, it will probably devote more energy to growth at the "mother" than growing the shooters (similar to rose pruning), but it will never stop making shooters.

The largest individual piece of water lettuce I found was about the size of my torso. They get big!

 

[knifegill]

Cool. If it hits a foot I'll get a pic up.

 

[knifegill]

It seems that pinching off the shoots has had the effect of encouraging reproduction even more! I took a close look today and the bugger had already made babies that had babies, and think the biggest was about to go to the fourth division! All still connected with firm beams! There were six babies to pinch off, so I threw them in various tanks down in the fish room. Most of them went into my new crayfish tank.

 

[Outlander]

Wish I could get some...... It's banned were I am

 

[knifegill]

It should be banned! I've seen what it can do. Ugly sinful weed.

 

[Outlander]

lmao

 

[knifegill]

This thing is already a foot 'deep' and 8" across. Niiice.
Couple of questions.

What is this probe thing that looks like a root but has no hairs?

And why is the tip of the biggest roots developing a brown fuzzy cap?