Cryptocoryne beckettii

Lore & Background

Cryptocoryne beckettii is native to Sri Lanka, where it grows in freshwater springs and rivers. It is not clear which plants sold in the aquarium trade under this name are the true species, and it is probably due to aquarists that C. beckettii is now found in Florida and probably other suitable spots in North America. The plant has conspicuously red veins, and submerged plants usually have larger, thinner leaves. Its inflorescences are rarely seen, with a greenish-brown twisted limb and a short-peduncled spathe.

Reader's Guide

Cryptocoryne beckettii is considered one of the best crypts for the aquarium and is probably the oldest cultivated crypt. It grows very easily in even hard water, though it prefers a quiet situation with not too intense light. The substrate should be a mixture of sand, clay, and peat, and it benefits from additional CO2. It is slow growing and may take several weeks to settle in. It normally spreads and multiplies by vegetative stolon or rhizome growth. It can suffer from crypt melt and seems to dislike being moved about. A smaller form with slightly fluted leaves is known as petchii.

Did You Know?

• Cryptocoryne beckettii is also known as Beckett's water trumpet.
• The leaf blade's upper surface is green to dark green or brown and marbled to red-brown.