TankBud

Bucephalandra belindae

Also known as Buce Belindae, Bucephalandra 'Belinda', Bucephalandra 'Fake Catherinae'

FreshwaterRhizomeRhizome division

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
2.4 in
6 cm
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Epiphyte
Type
Rhizome
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
4–12 dGH
Spread
3.9 in (10 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Araceae
Origin
Borneo (south of Nanga Pinoh, Melawi regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia)

Overview

Glue small portions of Bucephalandra belindae to rock or wood, and keep the thin stems out of the substrate. Wild plants stand about 3 cm tall and tank plants reach 5 to 10 cm, so it suits the foreground. The creeping stems branch, and a portion slowly knits into a dense mat. Low light is enough, and CO2 with regular liquid fertilizer speeds the slow growth. Keep light and water chemistry steady, since sudden changes are the usual cause of melt. Snip branched stems apart to start new plants.

In the wild

Bucephalandra belindae is known from a single granite cascade, a little over 100 m long, 33 km south of Nanga Pinoh in West Kalimantan. Water runs over the rock constantly, under humid hill forest at 260 to 350 m. The plants form wide mats of tangled, weakly rooted stems, and much of each mat hangs in the current.

Good to know

Wong and Boyce named Bucephalandra belindae in 2014, one of 19 new species in their revision of the genus. The name honors Belinda Tan Cho Hiang, wife of the plant collector Kazuya Nakamoto. The leaves are very narrow, 2.5 to 3 cm long and about 2 mm wide, with tightly crisped edges. They are dark green above and reddish beneath, in rosettes at the tips of branching stems. The paper lists 'Belinda' and 'Fake Catherinae' as trade names, and B. catherineae is the species it most resembles.

Did you know

Bucephalandra belindae often flowers in tanks. Its flower stalks reach 4 to 5 cm, taller than the leafy plant, and Wong and Boyce suggest they let it bloom while submerged.

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