Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi

Cryptocoryne walkeri 'Legroi'

Also known as Cryptocoryne legroi, Cryptocoryne lutea 'Legroi', Crypt legroi

FreshwaterRosetteRunnersRhizome division

Care at a glance

Light: Low light
CO2: CO₂ beneficial
Temperature: 72–82°F; 22–28°C
Max height: 5.9 in; 15 cm

Growth rate: Slow
Placement: Midground
Type: Rosette
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: 2–15 dGH
Spread: 3.9 in (10 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root feeder
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Easy
Family: Araceae
Origin: Sri Lanka

Overview

Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi is a compact, easy crypt with olive to brownish leaves. Left alone in the midground, it forms a low clump.

Did you know

Crypt leaf shape is nearly useless for telling one form from another. The spathe, the hooded flower, is the better guide, and it only shows up reliably in emersed culture.

Caring for Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi

Plant Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi in a nutrient-rich substrate and add root tabs, since it feeds through its roots. It settles slowly and may melt after planting or a rough water change. It rebuilds from the rootstock if you resist the urge to pull it.

Low light is enough. CO2 is optional, but it shortens the wait on this slow plant. Keep the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and a pH of 6 to 7.5.

It spreads by runners, and mature clumps divide cleanly at the rhizome. Cut a runner plant free once it has roots and plant it on its own.

Good to know

Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi was described as a separate species, Cryptocoryne legroi de Wit. It was later reduced to a form of Cryptocoryne walkeri, family Araceae, on the evidence of the spathe. It is one of several Sri Lankan walkeri forms, alongside Lutea, that keep their old species names as trade labels.

In the wild

Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi is a cultivated line of Cryptocoryne walkeri, a Sri Lankan endemic of shaded streams. The species grows submersed when the water is high and emersed on wet banks when it is not. Flowgrow records the exact wild locality of this form as unknown, and the plants in circulation are an old hobby line kept going in cultivation.

Common questions

Does Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Bury the roots and leave the crown, where the leaves join, just above the substrate.

Does Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi need CO2?

No, but it helps. Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi need?

Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi is a low-light plant, and the light that comes with a standard tank kit is enough for it.

Does Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi need root tabs?

Yes. Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi draws much of its food through its roots. Push root tabs in near it, or grow it in a nutrient-rich soil.

How do you propagate Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi?

Cryptocoryne walkeri Legroi propagates by runners and rhizome division. New plants grow along its runners. Cut one free once it has roots and plant it. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece.