Staurogyne Bihar
Staurogyne sp. 'Bihar'
Also known as Staurogyne sp. Bihar, Hygrophila sp. 'Bihar'
Care at a glance
- Light
- Medium light
- CO2
- CO₂ beneficial
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Placement
- Midground
- Type
- Stem
- Temperature
- 72–82°F (22–28°C)
- pH
- 5.0–7.5
- Hardness
- 2–12 dGH
- Max height
- 5.9 in (15 cm)
- Spread
- 3.1 in (8 cm)
- Nutrient uptake
- Root + water column
- Growth region
- Submersed or emersed
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Origin
- Bihar, northeastern India (probable)
- Family
- Acanthaceae
Overview
A midground stem with moderate demands: medium to high light, and CO2 optional but the difference between a dull, sparse plant and a dense, colored one. Plant stems in a small group in nutrient-rich substrate and trim regularly, since it grows fast once settled and branches after cutting. Replant the tops or cut off rooted side growth to spread it. It stays smaller and bushier than most Hygrophila, so it works where pinnatifida would get too large.
In the wild
Attributed to the state of Bihar in northeastern India, though collection details were never published. The plant is amphibious like its relatives, growing submersed with lobed leaves and emersed on wet ground, where it has flowered in cultivation; those flowers are what shifted its identification.
Good to know
A member of the Acanthaceae, the same family as Hygrophila and Staurogyne repens. It entered the hobby labeled as a Hygrophila species, but its floral characters point to Staurogyne, and it still lacks a species-level identification. Submersed growth carries partially lobed, highly variable leaves in green to reddish brown, close enough to Hygrophila pinnatifida that the two are regularly confused.
Did you know
Bihar spent its first years in the hobby filed under the wrong genus. Only when cultivated plants flowered emersed did the floral structure give it away as a Staurogyne rather than a Hygrophila.
Appears in
Growing Staurogyne Bihar?
Track your planted tank, set reminders and plan your layout.
Planning tankmates
See how Staurogyne Bihar fits a stocking plan. Open the stocking calculator
Add to your site
Show this plant on your own site: a shortcode for WordPress, or an HTML embed for anywhere else.
Related plants
Staurogyne repens
FreshwaterMedium lightForeground3.9 in (10 cm)Staurogyne Porto Velho
Staurogyne sp. 'Porto Velho'FreshwaterHigh lightForeground3.1 in (8 cm)
Hygrophila Araguaia
Hygrophila lancea 'Araguaia'FreshwaterHigh lightMidground7.9 in (20 cm)Hygrophila corymbosa Compacta
Hygrophila corymbosa 'Compacta'FreshwaterLow lightMidground7.9 in (20 cm)Hygrophila pinnatifida UK
Hygrophila pinnatifida 'UK'FreshwaterMedium lightMidground7.9 in (20 cm)
Hygrophila serpyllum
FreshwaterMedium lightForeground5.9 in (15 cm)