Crystalwort (Riccia fluitans)
Common Name: Crystalwort, Riccia
Scientific Name: Riccia fluitans
Family: Ricciaceae
Origin or Range: Cosmopolitan
Difficulty: Moderate
Area of tank best suited for: Floating or tied to driftwood or rocks
Light Requirements: High
General Plant Notes: High lighting and CO2 injection makes this one of the most spectacular looking plants that produces lots of pearls in healthy tanks. Riccia makes great looking carpet like lawns, it can be tied to driftwood or rocks to resemble moss, or it can be weighted down to form any shape...Riccia allows total creativity, and it rewards the aquatic gardener with bright green colors topped with chrome plated pearls. One does need to thin out Riccia occasionally as the plant will form a mat and choke out the bottom portion. This is it's one drawback. When trimming the small pieces tend to float all over the tank and one small piece will form a huge patch of Riccia within a few days under the right conditions.
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