Crinum Calamistratum Onion Plant – Easy Tropical Live Aquarium Plant

Crinum calamistratum is an aquatic plant from Central Africa that has been available in the hobby for several years now. Records from the holotype specimen collected in 1948 indicate that the plant was taken from the Kumba region of Cameroon. This is the smallest of the Crinum species that are usually kept in aquaria, but it is still a fairly sizeable plant. This Crinum has a unique structure of long, slender, deeply wrinkled, dark green leaves that can extend up to four feet in length. Leaves start off growing upward at a slight angle from the bulb, but quickly produce an assortment of curls and loops. For aquascaping purposes, a single full-grown plant can provide a strong focal point. The unique growth pattern and leaf texture provide an interesting visual contrast to typical groupings of stem plants. Despite its slow growth pattern, it requires fairly high light levels and will benefit from CO2 supplementation. Large, healthy plants will eventually produce a number of daughter plants circumferentially around the bulb. After forming three or four leaves, each can be carefully teased away with its own small bulb and root system. Sexual reproduction has also been reported, but is much less common. The aquarium location for this plant should be selected with careful consideration of its light requirements and eventual size. It does best when allowed to firmly establish itself. Frequent moves or excessive shading will result in dropped leaves and a poor root system. C. calamistratum is tolerant of mildly brackish water and can do well in both hard and soft water. The leaves are also highly resistant to grazing from herbivorous fish. Hardiness: Moderate Light Needs: High Plant Structure: Rosette Family: Amaryllidaceae Genus: Crinum Region: Africa Location: Western Cameroon Size: 36 inches+ (91cm) Growth Rate: ModerateCrinum Calamistratum Onion Plant – Easy Tropical Live Aquarium Plant