Photo: John Tann from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Senegal tea plant
Gymnocoronis spilanthoides DC.
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Height in the aquarium
medium to high
Light
low
CO₂ needs
15–28 °C
Ideal temperature
Water parameters
Understand these values- Position
- background
- Propagation
- cuttings
- Uses
- open-top tank
- Grows emersed
- yes
In the wild
Overview
This South American plant can grow upright stems or floating mats, with opposite leaves with wavy edges. Hollow internodes help it float. When emersed it produces clusters of small, very fragrant white or pinkish flowers. Its size and habit can change greatly with the water level.
- Scientific name
- Gymnocoronis spilanthoides DC.
- Classification
- Asterales › Asteraceae
- IUCN Red List
- Not evaluated (NE)
Natural habitat
Tropical South America, southern South America
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Introduced in Rivers and lakes
- Native countries
- Introduced by people
Outside its native range, in 7 countries:
An aquarium plant must never reach the wild: throwing away cuttings or emptying a tank into a stream can be enough to establish it.
Countries: Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP). Dots: GBIF observations in the native countries.
In the aquarium
Growing in the aquarium
Allow room for fast growth. Stem fragments can root at the nodes: cuttings are therefore easy to multiply, but detached pieces can also settle elsewhere. Submerged growing does not necessarily give the large bush seen on a bank. Keep the shoots in check and keep track of where the plant came from.
Sources:Flowgrow GBIF POWO (Kew) EPPO Bulletin · Base map: Natural Earth