Cryptocoryne lucens

Also known as Lucens crypt, Cryptocoryne x willisii "lucens", Cryptocoryne willisii lucens

FreshwaterRosetteRunnersSide shoots

Care at a glance

Light: Low light
CO2: No CO₂ needed
Growth rate: Slow
Placement: Midground
Type: Rosette
Temperature: 72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: 2–15 dGH
Max height: 7.9 in (20 cm)
Spread: 4.7 in (12 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root + water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Easy
Origin: Sri Lanka
Family: Araceae

Overview

One of the smaller, easier crypts. The narrow medium-green lanceolate leaves stay short (around 15 to 20 cm), so it works as a foreground or midground plant and forms a grass-like group over time. It is a low-light, no-CO2 plant that feeds heavily through its roots, so plant it in nutrient-rich substrate or push in root tabs. Expect crypt melt (leaves dissolving) after planting or any move, but it grows back from the rootstock, so leave it undisturbed and it spreads by runners and rosette offshoots.

In the wild

Native to the central highlands of Sri Lanka around Kandy, where it grows on river banks. It lives both submersed in flowing freshwater and emersed on damp margins when water levels drop, the typical seasonal pattern for the genus.

Good to know

Cryptocoryne lucens is a naturally occurring hybrid, often listed as Cryptocoryne x willisii "lucens", with parentage tied to C. parva, C. walkeri and C. beckettii. It belongs to the family Araceae and produces the spathe-and-spadix inflorescence characteristic of the genus rather than a true flower.

Did you know

Because it is a hybrid, lucens almost never sets viable seed, so every plant in the hobby is essentially a clone spread by runners and division rather than by sexual reproduction.