Bucephalandra catherinae
Bucephalandra catherinae
Also known as Bucephalandra Catherinae, Buce Catherinae, Bucephalandra catherinae, Bucephalandra catherineae P.C.Boyce, Bogner & Mayo
Care at a glance
- Light
- Low light
- CO2
- CO₂ beneficial
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Placement
- Epiphyte
- Type
- Rhizome
- Temperature
- 72–82°F (22–28°C)
- pH
- 6.0–8.0
- Hardness
- 4–15 dGH
- Max height
- 2.4 in (6 cm)
- Spread
- 3.9 in (10 cm)
- Nutrient uptake
- Root + water column
- Growth region
- Submersed or emersed
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Origin
- Borneo (West Kalimantan), Indonesia
- Family
- Araceae
Overview
One of the more compact Buce, so it can be used low in the layout as a foreground-to-midground accent, glued or wedged onto rock and hardscape with the rhizome left exposed. It is undemanding in low light and needs no CO2, though injected CO2 and steady dosing improve growth and colour. As always with the genus, never bury the rhizome or it will melt, and expect slow, steady leaf production.
In the wild
Bucephalandra catherineae is a described species endemic to Borneo, occurring on rocks in and along streams in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. It grows submersed when rivers are high and emersed on exposed stone when levels drop. Wild plants cling to rock with tough roots in the same way as Anubias.
Good to know
Unlike most Buce in the trade, catherineae is a validly published species, described by P.C. Boyce, J. Bogner and S.J. Mayo in 1995 in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, in the family Araceae. It is a short, densely tufted, low-growing plant with narrow, wavy, deep emerald leaves on short stalks that can flush red or purple under brighter light. Both green and red-selected clones circulate under the catherineae name in the hobby, often spelled 'catherinae'.
Did you know
Did you know that although the aquarium hobby sells hundreds of Bucephalandra trade names, only around thirty are formally described species, and catherineae is one of the few you can actually put a real scientific name to.
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
- Glass Aqua Aquascaping plants and planted tank supplies
- Buce Plant Aquatic plants and aquascaping supplies
…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
Growing Bucephalandra catherinae?
Track your planted tank, set reminders and plan your layout.
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