Echinodorus grandiflorus

Echinodorus grandiflorus (family Alismataceae) is of the biggest of the  Amazon sword plant species with a single leaf reaching over a metre in length  if the plant is doing well. Echinodorus grandiflorus needs to be grown in  an open aquarium to be able to grow out of the water and is ideal for the  indoor pond or large open aquarium. These plants flower and propagate themselves  easily by forming small plantlets on the flower stalks. These can be separated  when they have rooted and planted into a rich substrate as this is a fast  growing plant. As with the other Echinodorus species this plant grows best  at high temperatures but can tolerate slightly lower temperatures than the  other species, but will not flower as profusely. the thick fleshy leaf stalks  of this plant are attacked by the Ancistris catfish species as a source of  food.

• Maximum size: 50 - 150 cm
• pH of water: 5.7 - 8.9
• DH of water: dGH 4 - 8°N
• Recommended temperature: 21 - 28°C
• Recommended substrate: Gravel
• Light conditions: Bright
• Place in aquarium: Background
• Way of propagation: Rhizome
• Plant origin: South America
• Growth: Normal

Habitat

This is an aquatic emergent plant. It has very high moisture needs; suitable for bogs and water gardens.

Echinodorus  grandiflorus (family Alismataceae) is of the biggest of the Amazon sword  plant species with a single leaf reaching over a metre in length if the  plant is doing well. Echinodorus grandiflorus needs to be grown in an open  aquarium to be able to grow out of the water and is ideal for the indoor  pond or large open aquarium.  These plants flower and propagate themselves  easily by forming small plantlets on the flower stalks. These can be separated  when they have rooted and planted into a rich substrate as this is a fast  growing plant. As with the other Echinodorus species this plant grows best  at high temperatures but can tolerate slightly lower temperatures than the  other species, but will not flower as profusely. The thick fleshy leaf stalks  of this plant are attacked by the Ancistris catfish species as a source  of food

Herbal and medicinal

In Brazil E. grandiflorus and E. macrophyllus are popularly known as “ chapéu de couro”. These plants have been used in the folk medicine as anti-inflammatory and diuretic. The chemical profile of Echinodorus species is represented basically by terpenoids (Pimenta, et al., 2006). An American folk medicinal plant (Echinodorus grandiflorus) (Liu et al., 2000). Echinodorus macrophyllus is a medicinal plant, popularly known in Brazil as "chapu de couro", used to treat rheumatic diseases, which are usually characterized by exacerbated T and B lymphocyte response. However, it is important to be cautious about its indiscriminate popular use to avoid side effects, mainly in immunodeficiency diseases (ref).

This plant is therefore classed as a  phytomedicine with with therapeutic activity Reported uses are:

“Renal and hepatic complaints, headache, bellyache, lower backpain, bad cold, diabetes, sedative, worms (mainly Ascaris lumbricoides), renal disturbances, analgesic (mainly headache)” (Di Stasi et al., 2002). The leaves are prepared as an infusion. It is also reported as anti-hypertensive (lowering blood pressure) (Wright, et al., 2007). The leaves of Echinodorus grandiflorus are used traditionally in Brazil for their diuretic and antirheumatic activities (Schnitzler, 2007). Caution should be applied in the use of any medicinal plant. da Costa Lopes (2000) noted that Echinodorus macrophyllus dried leaves is a plant used in folk medicine to treat inflammation and kidney malfunctions. An exposure dose of 23 mg/kg, equivalent to the daily dose recommended to humans, did not revealed any genotoxic effect and hence this herb seems to be safe for humans.

References

da Costa Lopes L, Albano F, Augusto Travassos Laranja G, Marques Alves L, Fernando Martins e Silva L, Poubel de Souza G, et al. (2000). Toxicological evaluation by in vitro and in vivo assays of an aqueous extract prepared from Echinodorus macrophyllus leaves. Toxicology Letters. 116 (3), 189-98.

Di Stasi LC, Oliveira GP, Carvalhaes MA, Queiroz M Jr, Tien OS, Kakinami SH, et al. (2002). Medicinal plants popularly used in the Brazilian Tropical Atlantic Forest. Fitoterapia. 73 (1), 69-91.

Schnitzler, Miriam; Petereit, Frank; Nahrstedt, Adolf. Título. 2007. Trans-Aconitic acid, glucosylflavones and hydroxycinnamoyltartaric acids from the leaves of Echinodorus grandiflorus ssp. aureus, a Brazilian medicinal plant. Fonte: Rev. bras. farmacogn;17(2):149-154, abr.-jun. 2007. graf. (ref)

Tibirica, E.; Almeida, A.; Caillleaux, S.; Pimenta, D.; Kaplan, M.A.; Lessa, M.A.; Figueiredo, M.R. 2007. Pharmacological mechanisms involved in the vasodilator effects of extracts from Echinodorus grandiflorus. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, v. 111(1): p. 50-55, 2007 ( Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacodinamica, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

Wright CI, Van-Buren L, Kroner CI, & Koning MM. (2007). Herbal medicines as diuretics: a review of the scientific evidence. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 114 (1), 1-31.