Cryptocoryne spiralis Red

• 

  Spiralis
• Tiger
• RedThis page
• Jwala
• Nari

Care at a glance

Overview

An easy crypt for the midground to background, best planted as a single tuft that is then left alone. It feeds heavily through the roots, so give it a nutrient-rich substrate or root tabs; medium light is enough to grow it, and a bit more light with CO2 deepens the red. Like all crypts it resents disturbance, and a move or a sharp change in water conditions can trigger crypt melt; the rootstock almost always regrows if left in place. It spreads at its own pace by runners, which can be separated and replanted once they have a few leaves.

In the wild

The Red form is a cultivated selection of Cryptocoryne spiralis, an Indian species of rice paddies, irrigation ditches and seasonal wetlands. The species spends the dry months emersed or dormant in wet ground and grows fully submersed when fields and streams flood.

Good to know

Cryptocoryne spiralis is the type species of the genus, in the family Araceae, and the epithet refers to the spirally twisted spathe of its flower. The Red selection keeps the species' narrow, slightly twisted, upright leaves but colors them red-brown to deep red; Tropica distributes it as in-vitro culture and Dennerle as a potted plant. Unlike most crypts it makes a tall vertical accent rather than a low rosette.

Did you know

Every Cryptocoryne in the hobby hangs taxonomically off this species: C. spiralis is the type of the genus, so the Red form on a shop shelf is a selection of the plant that defines what a crypt is.

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