Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rice paddy herb
Limnophila aromatica (Lam.) Merr.
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Height in the aquarium
high
Light
medium
CO₂ needs
22–27 °C
Ideal temperature
Water parameters
Understand these values- Position
- background, midground
- Propagation
- cuttings
- Grows emersed
- yes
In the wild
Overview
This Asian plant owes its name to the aromatic smell of its crushed leaves. Depending on the cultivated form, the submerged foliage may stay green or show red hues. In the trade it is often confused with Limnophila hippuridoides, whose leaf whorls are usually fuller.
- Scientific name
- Limnophila aromatica (Lam.) Merr.
- Classification
- Lamiales › Plantaginaceae
- IUCN Red List
- Least concern (LC)
Natural habitat
South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Australia
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Introduced in Rivers and lakes
- Native countries
- Introduced by people
Outside its native range, in 1 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
It needs good light, CO₂ and balanced feeding. Cuttings let you renew the stems. Check the form you receive before expecting a deep red: plants sold as “aromatica” are not all the same. Emersed growing succeeds on damp, rich soil in humid air.
Sources:Flowgrow GBIF POWO (Kew) · Base map: Natural Earth