TankBud

Eriocaulon quinquangulare

Also known as Five-angled pipewort, Erio quinquangulare, Eriocaulon quinquangulare 'Red', Eriocaulon sp. Quinquangulare 'Red', Eriocaulon sp. Quinquangular 'Red', Eriocaulon sp. 'India', Eriocaulon India Red

FreshwaterRosetteSide shootsPlantlets

Eriocaulon quinquangulare (Eriocaulon quinquangulare)
Yercaud-elango · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ required
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
3.1 in
8 cm
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Midground
Type
Rosette
pH
5.0–6.8
Hardness
0–4 dGH
Spread
3.1 in (8 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Eriocaulaceae
Origin
Tropical Asia, from the Indian subcontinent through Indo-China (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam)

Overview

Eriocaulon quinquangulare is a difficult collector rosette for the midground. Its star-shaped rosette of stiff, pointed leaves looks like a small bromeliad.

Did you know

Low nitrate pushes the red at the base of Eriocaulon quinquangulare further up its leaves. Starve it too hard, though, and it grows slower and weaker while the whole tank risks a growth crash.

Caring for Eriocaulon quinquangulare

Handle Eriocaulon quinquangulare by the base and plant it carefully, since it is delicate and squashes easily. Set it in a rich, ammonia-loaded aquasoil with the crown just above the surface. It also feeds through its leaves, so a liquid fertilizer helps alongside root tabs.

It needs high light and heavy CO2, often more than the usual 30 ppm. Keep the water very soft, with KH under about 3, at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C). Like other Eriocaulon, it is very sensitive to carbonate hardness. Fraying, pale or melting outer leaves are the classic sign that CO2, GH or KH is off.

It grows slowly. Adult clumps split into side rosettes that pull apart by hand, and plantlets can be detached once they root. Unlike most aquarium Eriocaulon, it flowers and sets seed underwater fairly often.

Good to know

Eriocaulon quinquangulare belongs to Eriocaulaceae, a family of monocots grown in the hobby as demanding rosette plants. Its species name means five-angled, after the five-ribbed flower stalks it throws up. Its leaves are wider than those of most pipeworts in the hobby. Each leaf is maroon-red at the base and fades to green or olive toward the tip.

In the wild

Eriocaulon quinquangulare is a pipewort native across tropical Asia, from the Indian subcontinent through Indo-China. It grows in marshy ground, rice paddies and seasonally flooded pools with soft, mineral-poor water.

Common questions

Does Eriocaulon quinquangulare need to be planted in the substrate?

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

Does Eriocaulon quinquangulare need CO2?

Yes. Eriocaulon quinquangulare needs injected CO2 to grow well, and it usually struggles without it.

How much light does Eriocaulon quinquangulare need?

Eriocaulon quinquangulare needs high light from a strong planted-tank LED.

Does Eriocaulon quinquangulare need root tabs?

They help. Eriocaulon quinquangulare takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.

How do you propagate Eriocaulon quinquangulare?

Eriocaulon quinquangulare propagates by side shoots and plantlets. Cut a side shoot off once it has a few leaves and plant it on its own. Small plantlets form on the plant and can be detached once they have a few roots.

How tall does Eriocaulon quinquangulare grow?

Eriocaulon quinquangulare grows to about 3.1 in (8 cm) tall. It grows slowly and rarely needs trimming.

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