Rotala Fujian

Care at a glance

Overview

A compact stem for the midground, staying around 10-20 cm with regular topping. It is forgiving of water chemistry like its parent species, but the orange-pink color only comes with high light, and at that intensity CO2 becomes effectively necessary to keep growth dense and ahead of algae. Trim and replant the tops to thicken the stand, and avoid drastic parameter changes, which melt it. Quality aquarium soil plus water column dosing covers its feeding.

In the wild

Fujian is a regional form of Rotala rotundifolia found in Fujian province in southeastern China. The parent species is a wetland plant of rice paddies, ditches and marshy ground across Asia, growing emersed with rounded leaves and converting to softer foliage underwater. The trade form is farmed and handles both states, with a transition period between them.

Good to know

A member of the family Lythraceae. It is one of several named regional and color forms of Rotala rotundifolia in the hobby, alongside plants like H'ra and Blood Red. Its underwater leaves are noticeably broader than most rotundifolia forms and carry an orange-pink hue that concentrates at the growing tips.

Did you know

Among the crowd of named Rotala rotundifolia forms it is one you can identify by shape as much as color: the submersed leaves stay distinctly broader than those of its sister forms, orange-pink tips or not.

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