Bucephalandra kishii
Kishi's Rheophytic Aroid
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About Bucephalandra kishii
Sin Yeng Wong and Peter C. Boyce described Bucephalandra kishii (2014), naming the species for plant explorer Hiroyuki Kishi. Native to West Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo, it grows as an obligate rheophyte on wet boulders along fast-flowing forest streams. The plant develops a thick creeping rhizome bearing small leathery leaves that exhibit an iridescent bronze sheen and fine stomatal flecks. It can be cultivated fully submersed in aquariums or emersed in high-humidity vivariums, provided its rhizome is mounted to hardscape rather than buried in soil.
Native range
West Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo (rheophytic, wet boulders in forest streams)
Classification
- Genus
- Bucephalandra
- Family
- Araceae
- Type
- Wild
- Growth habit
- Rheophytic lithophyte
Morphology
- Leaf shape
- Oblanceolate to narrow elliptic with slightly wavy margins
- Leaf length
- 5-9 cm
- Leaf width
- 1.5-2.5 cm
- Petiole colour
- Reddish-brown to copper
- Venation
- PinnateVeins or lobes arranged like a feather, branching out symmetrically on both sides of a single main central vein. with indistinct secondary venation
- Texture
- Stiff and leathery
- Variegation
- N/A (metallic bronze and olive iridescence)
- Growth habit
- Creeping woody rhizome anchored by clasping roots
Recent UK sales
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For sale in the UK
Before you buy
- Verify the rhizome is firm and green-bronze without black rot
- Confirm roots are attached to a hardscape mount or ready for binding
- Inspect leaf surfaces for reflective stomatal dots characteristic of the genus
- Clarify whether the plant was grown emersed or submersed prior to purchase
Bucephalandra kishii care
- Substrate
- Do not bury in soil; attach onto volcanic lava rock, slate, driftwood, or porous ceramic mounts
- Watering
- For emersed setups, keep kishii roots continuously wet via capillary action; for submersed setups, maintain clean filtered water
- Humidity
- Requires 85% to 100% humidity if grown emersed; leaves dry out rapidly in open household air
- Feeding
- Provide dilute liquid micro-nutrient solution; in aquariums, standard water-column dosing is sufficient
- Repotting
- Divide or remount kishii rhizomes every two years as stems expand across their rock mount
Common problems
Rhizome rot and rapid leaf loss
Cause: Burying the creeping kishii rhizome under soil, sand, or gravel
Fix: Uncover the rhizome immediately and tie it onto an exposed rock or wood surface
Algae growth on leaf blades in submersed culture
Cause: Excessive light duration combined with low dissolved carbon dioxide
Fix: Reduce lighting period to 6 hours daily and introduce algae-eating nerite snails
Gear for this plant
- Digital Hygrometer & ThermometerLCD humidity and temperature gauge for checking a grow spot against a plant's target range.
How to propagate Bucephalandra kishii
- Methods
- Rhizome division with 3-5 leaves, Tissue culture
- Difficulty
- Easy. Forgiving of missed waterings, average home humidity, and imperfect light. A solid pick for beginners or low-fuss collections.
- Time to establish
- 8-12 weeks
- True from cuttings
- Yes. Cuttings keep the cultivar's character.
- Notes
- Cut rhizomes using clean scissors; attach the section to rock or driftwood using cyanoacrylate gel or cotton thread.