festive plant rapidly losing leaves

[john]

Hi! I received a cutting of this festive-looking plant from a friend. After 15*months of quite rapid growth first the largest older leaves, and now also new leaves are going yellow, then brown, then falling off. It's still sending out new leaves, but for the last 2 months it's losing old ones much faster.* Infact, now 70% of the leaves show some sign of yellowing.*I've re-potted*the plant once -*6 months ago; it seemed very happy. The soil is slightly damp, no root rot, it receives adequate light near the window and I try to ensure it's not getting direct sunlight. For the first time I gave it some plant-food last week but it hasn't helped. The leaves have tiny nodules on the back, but they look evenly spaced and leads me to believe this is part of the plant rather than a pest. If someone would be good enough to help me identify the plant, maybe I could read-up on its associated problems. I'd really hate to lose this plant- it makes (made) me smile just to look at it.

[thanrose]

John, this is hydrocotyle AKA* dollarweed or pennywort. There are several varieties of it and you have the common lawn weed one. There is an emersed aquatic plant that looks identical but is about three times the size.

It's also related to gotu kola or centella asiatica, used as a health food supplement.* I'm not recommending you eat it or anything, just giving you ways to research it.

You could plant this in a moist patch of lawn and it would do well. It may be too dry in your home for it. It could probably do with a radical pruning and patience as well as frequent misting if you want to keep it as a house plant. I would expect the light levels are too low inside as well. Like a lot of lawn weeds, it withstands a good bit of mistreatment.

[john]

Thanks very much for the information! I'm must say I was both happy and relieved, and yet simultaneously disappointed to hear that my unidentified exotic-looking plant is actually a common and aggravating*weed in other parts of the world! I did some research and although none of the photos i saw*pictured exactly the same looking leaves (mine has a different vein pattern, barely serrated edges*and*are up to 7cm diameter) it's very clearly the same family. I've already given it a good watering and moved it to a postion of direct sunlight. Could you tell me thoúgh, how and when does one prune such a plant when the new leaves grow out from the end of the stalk? (I can only find advice on how to kill it!)

[thanrose]

Hmmm, that I don't know.

Mowing it doesn't kill it, but seems to spread it. I'd guess what is happening is that chopped up plant stem that contains at least one node will take root and grow a new plant. I've never seen them particularly bushy, but I have seen them taking over a patch of lawn with many individual plants growing as yours is.

If I was trying to cultivate this one, here is what I would do: I'd trim off several inches with several nodes, but leaving some green leaves still attached to the mother plant. The cut off piece could be sectioned between nodes, leaves removed and the stem placed in a growing medium, perhaps watered with willow water, or dusted with a rooting hormone, misted and cloched. I'd mist the mother, perhaps cloche or bag her to encourage leafing out from a node below the cut. If I saw bud swelling at a few nodes, I would increase my attention with misting or even painting those nodes with water from time to time to encourage sprouting.

If I still had a long stem with multiple nodes, I might try pinning it to the soil and covering with sphagnum moss or a moisture retaining mulch. Those should root.

Hope this helps.

[Newt]

I thought I answered this one.* With no disrespect to Thanrose, I think this is Pilea peperomioides aka Chinese money plant.
http://www.wildchicken.com/nature/ga...re_200_040.htm
http://www.stredoceskestavby.cz/foto...6240588_01.jpg

At this site click on any in the first row.
http://images.google.com/images?um=1...peperomioides+

Unfortunately the URL for the individual photos contains a code that ends up as an emoticon.

Newt

[thanrose]

Ooooh, that does look like it. I'd bet that's the correct ID.

Goes to show why the flowers are critical to most species identification.

[john]

I think that's it! - the chinese money plant... a plant to be proud of! Thank you both for your feedback.* According to the info. on the (very helpful) first link from 'newt',*indirect sunlight*and more frequent watering/feeding might be the answer; I'll give it a go and hope*to see*a recovery soon. Thanks again!

[Newt]

Cool, I'm sooo glad we now know what it is.

You are very welcome!
Newt