Indian Fern vs. Water Sprite... What's the difference? Clarifying Confusion

[HappyGuppy]

I feel a bit confused.  What is the difference between "Indian Fern" and "Water Sprite"?  From my googling around it almost seems as thought the two names are used interchangeably for narrow-leaf water sprite.  Is there a difference?  If so then what is the difference?  How do you identify each?  Is there a good website explaining this?

Thanks in advance for clarifying this confusion.

[zima]

Same difference, I think. I know people have been calling the plant with one name or another, but to the best of my knowledge, it is the same plant. Perhaps someone else will know a subtle difference?

[HappyGuppy]

That was what I believed too, but I got a PM from someone asking if what I posted was "true indian fern" (I'm not sure in reference to what post I made that he's talking about), and if it is the "true indian fern" & not water sprite that he would like to buy some from me.  I replied that I thought it was the same thing, and asked how to tell the difference.  I offered to trade mine for his if in fact mine isn't watersprite but rather the Indian fern instead.

Thanks Zima for your opinion, which is similar to mine.  Does else anyone know for sure one way or the other?

[dan2x38]

It's one in the same: http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/plants/PetersT_Water_Sprite.html

[HappyGuppy]

Thank you both Zima & Dan for tanking the time to respond to this question.  I appreciate you both.  Your answers confirm my suspicions.

I'll consider myself satisfied with this answer (that they're the same thing) but if anyone begs to differ then please post your message and please send me a PM to check out this thread again to see any new information regarding this topic.

Thanks again to all who have replied to this thread.

ACTUALLY SORRY ONE MORE QUESTION

Are there different varieties of water sprite / indian fern?  My plants are "fine leafed" but isn't there a broad-leafed variety of water sprite?  If so, does anyone have some willing to trade/sell?  I'm curious to see how it looks.

[dan2x38]

Plants take on a different appearance in different environments. Say you have a basic Walmart gravel substrate with little or no ferts just fish crap. Plus basic (low) lighting. The plants will be stemy, the colours not so bright, and more often mostly green. The leaves might appear different too. Now with an expensive substrate say Flora Base, using EI dosing, Hi-tech lighting, & pressurized CO2 the plants can have more leaves, leaves are closer together, grows more horizontally, rich colour/s, etc. just an example. So anywhere in between can make a plant appear much different from one tank to the next.

Is there a board leaf vr. narrow leaf not 100% sure but try researching on the web.

[HappyGuppy]

Thanks again Dan (you're a wonderful resource & I appreciate you in these forums).

From pics I have seen on the internet there definetely appears to be a type of watersprite different from what I've got.  Apparently the kind I have I saw referred to as "cut leaf" watersprite.  Pictures I have seen elsewhere show water sprite with leaves that are somewhat rounder and less "needle-like".  I'm going to see if I can track down these pics and will make a subsequent post shortly to display the different kinds.

[HappyGuppy]

See pic on front page here:
http://www.aquahobby.com/garden/e_cerato.php
and here
http://www.aquatic-photography.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10223
(scroll down a bit to "cut leaf water sprite" - this is EXACTLY what I have)

Now look at this one
http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Plant,%20Watersprite.htm
and
http://www.petfish.net/articles/Aquatic_Plants/sprit.php
notice these pictures show a water sprite that have a definite rounder appearance than the "cut leaf" above.


Now I'm sure that all of the above are "water sprites", but it appears that there are two distinct appearances. 

I have the "cut leaf" water sprite.  If anyone has the other "rounder" water sprite and would like to trade for the kind I have then please let me know; PM me.  This way we each have both varieties.

Perhaps it's like Dan said that it's simply a factor of different growing conditions, but honestly I have to say that I'm skeptical of this.  I've grown my water sprites in different tanks in COMPLETELY different conditions (low/high light, low/high nutrients, water/soil nutrients), and all look basically the same.

[dan2x38]

Yes if you see they are talking about emersed watersprite with the split leaf. That is a different condition then submerged. When plants are in different conditions they often take on different appearance. They were planting the emersed version- same plant. Also another problem with common names leads to confussion and misconceptions. No matter how you dice it it is still, 'Ceratopteris thalictroides'.

[HappyGuppy]

So are you saying that if I grow it emmersed that it'll have that broader rounder look?  Under water it is growing very "cut leaf" looking for me.  Hmmm... now how am I going to emmerse a plant...

[bergenm]

http://www.aquaria.info/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=308&theme=Printer

There appear to be three different variety of plants commonly referred to as water sprite - Floating Fern (Ceratopteris cornuta), Floating Watersprite (Ceratopteris pteridioides) and Indian Fern (Ceratopteris thalictroides).