TankBud

One species · 4 forms

Lagenandra meeboldii

Also known as Red flame, Lagenandra meeboldii 'Kerala', Lagenandra keralensis, Silver Queen

FreshwaterRhizomeRhizome divisionSide shoots

Lagenandra meeboldii (Lagenandra meeboldii)
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
Medium light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
11.8 in
30 cm
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Midground
Type
Rhizome
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
0–20 dGH
Spread
11.8 in (30 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Araceae
Origin
South-west India (Karnataka and Kerala)

Pick a form

One setup covers every form on this page.

A crypt cousin with a bigger rhizome

Lagenandra sits in the same family as cryptocoryne and wants the same life: gentle light, a fertile substrate and time. The practical difference is the thick creeping rhizome, which must sit on top of the substrate like an anubias rhizome; bury it and it rots. Roots go down, rhizome stays visible.

Slow, steady and worth it

Nursery plants arrive emersed-grown and spend their first weeks swapping to rounder, softer underwater leaves, usually without the dramatic melt crypts pull. From there it adds a leaf every week or two, and the colored forms deepen noticeably under brighter light with iron in the mix.

Overview

A rhizome plant grown like a large, colourful Crypt or Anubias. It is easy and does well low-tech, but is not a strict low-light plant: give it moderate to strong light for the best pink and red colour, and it appreciates a rich substrate plus CO2 for faster growth. It suffers less from Crypt-style melt than Cryptocoryne but still prefers stable water. Propagate by cutting the rhizome, leaving three or four leaves per section.

In the wild

Native to south-west India, where it colonises the swampy banks of shaded forest streams and grows both emersed and submersed depending on water level. It creeps along a thick rhizome much like Anubias, sending up coarse, ovate, slightly heart-shaped leaves. Wild colouring ranges from olive green through orange-brown to reddish purple, often within a single leaf.

Good to know

A member of the aroid family Araceae, the same family as Bucephalandra, Cryptocoryne and Anubias. The genus Lagenandra is endemic to the Indian subcontinent (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh). This is a creeping rhizome plant, growing from a thick rhizome much like Anubias rather than a true basal rosette. It reproduces sexually via a lily-like spathe and spadix inflorescence.

Did you know

Its brand-new leaves often emerge a soft light pink before hardening off to green, orange-brown or deep purple, so a healthy plant can show several colours at once across its foliage.

Common questions

How is lagenandra different from cryptocoryne?

Same family, different build: lagenandra grows from a thick surface rhizome with rounder leaves, while crypts grow from buried crowns. Care is nearly identical apart from keeping that rhizome exposed.

Is it hard to keep?

No. It is slow but forgiving: moderate light, root tabs and an exposed rhizome cover everything on this page.

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