TankBud

Form of Cryptocoryne wendtii

Cryptocoryne wendtii brown

Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Brown'

One of 9 forms of Cryptocoryne wendtii · See all forms →

Also known as Crypt wendtii brown

FreshwaterBrackishRosetteRunners

Cryptocoryne wendtii brown (Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Brown')
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Forms · Cryptocoryne wendtii

See all 9 →

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
No CO₂ needed
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
7.9 in
20 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Midground
Type
Rosette
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
3–12 dGH
Spread
7.9 in (20 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Beginner
Family
Araceae
Origin
Sri Lanka

Overview

Treat it exactly like any other C. wendtii: a tough low-light midground rosette grown for its warm brown to bronze leaves. Plant individual rosettes in rich substrate, keep the crown above the soil, and add root tabs. It needs no CO2 and tolerates a wide range of water, but expect crypt melt after planting and resist the urge to dig it up while it regrows. Stronger (but still moderate) light deepens the brown coloring, while very low light pushes the leaves toward greenish-brown.

In the wild

A cultivated color form of Cryptocoryne wendtii, which is endemic to Sri Lanka and grows along shaded streams under the forest canopy. Like the parent species it is amphibious, living submersed when water is high and emersed on the banks during dry spells.

Good to know

A trade-selected brown form of C. wendtii, a water trumpet in the family Araceae. Botanically it is the same species as plain wendtii, just a color variety, and it shares the same arum-style spathe flower, rosette growth, and spread by underground runners. Its brownish-bronze leaf color is partly genetic and partly a response to light, so the same plant can look greener in low light and richer chocolate-brown under stronger light.

Did you know

The 'Brown' label describes color, not a different plant. It is the same species as green wendtii, and its leaves shift between greenish-brown and rich chocolate depending on how much light it gets, so two tanks can grow the identical plant in noticeably different shades.

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