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Form of Rotala rotundifolia

Rotala Platinum

Rotala rotundifolia 'Platinum'

One of 11 forms of Rotala rotundifolia · See all forms →

Also known as Rotala rotundifolia 'White', Rotala White

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Invasive. Regulated as an invasive aquatic plant in California and Louisiana. Never release into the wild; dispose of trimmings in the trash.

Forms · Rotala rotundifolia

See all 11 →

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ required
Temperature
68–82°F
20–28°C
Max height
11.8 in
30 cm
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Background
Type
Stem
pH
6.0–8.0
Hardness
4–15 dGH
Spread
2 in (5 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Lythraceae
Origin
Cultivated form (tissue-culture mutation of Rotala rotundifolia, no wild range)

Overview

Rotala Platinum needs strong light, injected CO2, soft water and a rich aqua soil from the day it goes in. Rinse off all the gel and cut away black or mushy tissue before planting. Several buyers report cups melting within a week underwater, so plant it into a stable, established tank. One grower had better luck with a dry start, rooting the plantlets emersed under a cover before flooding. Handle the stems gently, since the leaves are fragile. Trim often and replant the healthy tops. The lower stems die back and rot in weak light, so keep taller plants from shading them.

In the wild

Rotala Platinum has no wild population. It is a pale mutation of Rotala rotundifolia, propagated in tissue culture labs. US shops sell it in cups from Aquatic Farmer and UNS. The parent species grows in marshes, along streams and in rice paddies from India to China and Japan, below about 2,700 m.

Good to know

Platinum is a cultivar of Rotala rotundifolia in the loosestrife family, Lythraceae. Sellers describe it as a mutation of the usual green or red stock. Its leaves grow pale cream to nearly white, where the plain species runs from green to pink. Pale leaf tissue holds little chlorophyll, so a Platinum stem makes less food than a green stem of the same size. Shops also sell it as Rotala White.

Did you know

Rotala Platinum is one of at least three unrelated aquarium plants sold under the Platinum name. The same label covers a Glossostigma carpet plant and a Bacopa monnieri stem, so check the genus on the cup before you buy.

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