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Bucephalandra Mini Coin

Bucephalandra sp. 'Mini Coin'

Also known as Buce Mini Coin, Bucephalandra 'Mini Coin'

FreshwaterRhizomeRhizome division

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Epiphyte
Type
Rhizome
Temperature
70–82°F (21–28°C)
pH
6.0–8.0
Hardness
2–15 dGH
Max height
1.6 in (4 cm)
Spread
2.4 in (6 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Origin
Borneo, Indonesia (cultivar of a wild-collected Bucephalandra)
Family
Araceae

Overview

One of the smallest Buce in the hobby, it is ideal for nano tanks, foreground rockwork, and tight detail spots. Glue or tie the rhizome to hardscape and leave the rhizome exposed, since burying it causes rot. It tolerates low light and no CO2, but its very slow growth means patience and stable water are the real requirements; CO2 mainly tightens the leaves and speeds recovery.

In the wild

Like all Bucephalandra, Mini Coin descends from rheophytic plants of Borneo that cling to rock and wood in fast streams, sitting submerged in the wet season and emerging to flower when water drops. It is one of the most compact forms selected from these wild populations, with small rounded leaves rarely over about a centimeter.

Good to know

Mini Coin is a dwarf trade form within the arum-family genus Bucephalandra (Araceae), grown from a short creeping rhizome that sends up small coin-shaped leaves. As with the rest of the genus its cultivar names are horticultural rather than formal botanical taxa. Grown emersed it produces the characteristic aroid spathe-and-spadix inflorescence despite its tiny size.

Did you know

It is often ranked as the smallest Bucephalandra available in the trade, with leaves that stay under half an inch, so a small clump can carpet a rock the way a moss would rather than towering over it.

Where to buy

Some links may not be the exact species or variety.

…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

Low-light plants · Epiphytes · Beginner plants

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