Growing Orchid Lily (Barclaya Longifolia) In The Aquarium

Orchid Lily, Burma Conehead

The Elongated Barclaya is a water plant originating from Southeast Asia - it is an endemic species. It grows in slow flowing streams and muddy terrain in the tropical forests of India, Malaysia, Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.

It is a typical aquatic species that does not develop aerial leaves. The plant is characterized by elongated, linear leaves, 25-30 cm in length, which grow rosette from the horizontal rhizomes on stiff stalks. The rather delicate leaves are wrinkled, heart-shaped at the base, and their colour is green-maroon (depending on the intensity of the light).

Due to its size, this species is suitable for large aquariums, for the background or planted on the sides. It should be kept in mind that the plant needs a lot of free space around it, as it grows quite strongly to the sides (about 30-40 cm). Planting the species in a container will maintain its small size for longer.

The plant is somewhat demanding - especially when it comes to water temperature. It prefers water with a pH of 5.5-7.5. Additional fertilization is not necessary, but CO₂ fertilization accelerates the growth of the plant. It is susceptible to snail attacks, which particularly like to eat its leaves. Sensitive to intense water flow - it should not stand near the filter outlet. Once planted and acclimatized, it should not be transplanted - it then loses leaves. The species after the seed production period goes into a period of dormancy (hibernation) - it then sheds all leaves for several months.

The Elongated Barclaya is a seed species, which blooms easily in water (water temperature around 30ºC) and grows very well from seeds. The flower stem reaches the water surface and then blooms or remains closed under the water surface. In both cases, self-pollination occurs in the flower bud (in the second case we deal with cleistogamy) and the development of seeds inside the pod. When the seeds mature, the pod slowly dissolves, and the light brown, spiky seeds fall into the water. It is best to remove the flower stem just before this, take the seeds out of the pod (they are surrounded by a white, jelly-like substance) and plant them in sandy soil or a suitable container. The chosen place should be well lit. New plants start germinating after a few months, and the seedlings are ready to be transplanted once they reach 5-10 cm in height.

In the aquarium, we can also propagate this species vegetatively - by dividing the rhizome. Remember never to bury the rhizomes completely in the substrate - they will then rot.