Floscopa

Floscopa scandens

A coarse-leaved tropical marsh plant, close kin to the tradescantia on a windowsill. Fresh green and unusual, and not the easiest plant to fit into a layout.

Light: medium–high
Difficulty: medium
Height: 20 – 50 cm (7.9 – 20 in)
Temperature: 18 – 30 °C (64 – 86 °F)

Leaf colour: green, red
Plant type: stem plant
Growth rate: medium
Tolerates light: medium – high
pH: 5 – 7
Carbonate hardness: 0 – 10 °dKH
General hardness: 0 – 30 °dGH
Placement: semi-emersed, background +1 semi-emersed, background, midground
Propagation: cuttings
Grows emersed: yes

Appearance

Broad pointed leaves alternating along an upright stem 20–50 cm tall, in a bright fresh green. Its size and rather coarse foliage make it stand out among the fine-leaved plants it usually shares a tank with.

Keeping

Moderate demands under water: medium to strong light, softer and slightly acidic water, carbon dioxide and a nutritious substrate. In poor light it drops its lower leaves. Growth is fairly slow, and shoots that reach the surface will keep going into the air unless trimmed. Cuttings should be planted singly with a little space between them.

Placement

The middle or back of the tank, as a free-standing group of stems of different heights. It works best against a dark background or beside fine reddish plants.

Propagation

By cuttings: trimmed stems put out side shoots that can be cut off and replanted; roots form at the joints.

Water conditions match

The water suits 841 of 1249 species in the catalogue — these are the ones people look up most often.

Butterflyfish Julii Corydoras Red-finned Parotocinclus Gastromyzon monticola Egg-shaped Goldfish Flame Tetra Gardner's Killifish African Tetra Hypsolebias picturatus Common Zacco Labeo Bicolor Gambusia Flying barb Gastromyzon scitulus Albino Zebra Danio Geophagus Brokopondo Homaloptera bilineata Red-tailed Rasbora Boraras naevus Lampeye Killifish Spotted Raphael Catfish Corydoras melanotaenia Festivum cichlid Pseudomugil paskai

Will eat this plant

These species damage plants, especially when their diet is short of vegetable food.

Bengal Loach Zebra Loach Burmese Border Loach Emperor Botia Marbled Headstander Pellegrin's Leporinus Leporinus striatus False Black Tetra Common Metynnis Mylossoma duriventre Red Whiptail Catfish Moonlight Gourami Melanotaenia parva

Will uproot it

These species dig through the substrate and pull rooted plants out.

Marble Loach Peacock Eel Forktail Loach Guntea Loach Long-nosed Loach Horseface Loach Pearlscale Black Moor Goldfish Shubunkin Painted Pleco Featherfin Synodontis Reddish Mystus Catfish Blue Acara Geophagus altifrons Geophagus winemilleri Pearl Cichlid Red-spotted Cichlid Haplochromis philander Red Chromide Jack Dempsey cichlid

Matching water does not mean the fish will leave the plant alone.

The same plant with a different look: light, water and care are shared with the species.

Other varieties: Floscopa cf. scandens, Floscopa cf scandens, Floscopa cf scandens in Vitro XL

Scientific and other names, conservation status

Other scientific names: Commelinaceae sp. ''Green'', Commelinaceae sp., Aneilema asperum, Aneilema cymosum, Aneilema densiflorum, Aneilema hispidum, Commelina cymosa, Commelina densiflora, Commelina hamiltonii, Commelina hispida, Dithyrocarpus meyenianus, Dithyrocarpus paniculatus, Dithyrocarpus petiolatus, Dithyrocarpus rothii, Dithyrocarpus rufus, Dithyrocarpus undulatus, Floscopa hamiltonii, Floscopa meyeniana, Floscopa paniculata, Floscopa petiolata, Floscopa rufa, Floscopa scandens vaginivillosa, Floscopa undulata, Floscopii paniculatus, Lamprodithyros paniculatus, Tradescantia geniculata, Tradescantia paniculata, Tradescantia rufa
Family: Commelinaceae
Conservation status: LC

Floscopa

Tank conditions

Care and keeping