Description
Stonewort. An excellent aquarium plant, Chara has a central stem with whorls of branchlets at the nodes. Substitutes well for elodea and others. With instructions. Pack of 12.
Chara grows in slow-moving streams, ponds, and backwaters. It has a central stem and whorls of branchlets that are spaced at fairly regular intervals. It does not have leaves, but the branchlets serve the same purpose. Small organisms often live on or among the whorls of branchlets.
Simply drop Chara into water. It is a completely submerged plant that floats freely in the water, although with time it may attach to a habitat’s bottom. Chara can reach a length of over 3 feet, sometimes has a coarse texture due to calcium deposits in its cells, and has a distinctive musty odor. It is a very hardy plant and even a small piece can grow into a new plant. You and your students may notice small bubbles forming on Chara‘s stems and branchlets, especially when the habitat is in sunlight. These are bubbles of oxygen produced by the plant.