Red Root Floater
Phyllanthus fluitans is a freshwater floating plant native to South America, spread in the Amazon River basin and across Central America. In nature, it is typically found in tropical, stagnant water habitats such as canals and rivers.
This species is known and for its bright red roots and underside, and under high lighting, its leaves can turn completely red. The leaves grow around nodes along a central stalk, with one leaf per node attached to the roots. The leaves float on the water while the roots hang down below the surface.
Phyllanthus fluitans is an easy plant to take care of, and it will thrive in the right conditions. Indeed, it propagates quickly, forming carpets of leaves and providing a lot of shaded areas in the aquarium, thus being a good addition to a tank that hosts more reclusive species. Furthermore, blocking light from reaching the tank bottom, it helps prevent algae growth.
Native to:
Argentina Northeast, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil West-Central, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico Southeast, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela
Introduced into:
Florida
