Eriocaulon 'Udonthani'
Eriocaulon 'Udonthani'
Available and permitted for sale in the United States and Canada. It is not a designated noxious weed. Our facility, procedures, and plants have been certified by the CFIA as clean and are legally allowed to be shipped to anywhere within the Continental US and Canada and are pre-cleared for customs.
A fairly new, uncommon Eriocaulon variety, Eriocaulon 'Udonthani' has slightly broader leaves than similar green Eriocaulons, such as E. 'Hainan Island' and 'E. ratnigiricum', the leaves of which are very needle-like. In contrast, Eriocaulon 'Udonthani' looks a bit more like a very small Aloe plant. Its leaves are thinner than Eriocaulon 'Broadleaf' and we suspect it may be a smaller plant as well.
Though beautiful, it's a somewhat obscure plant about which, little is known. For those interested in usual plants or Eriocaulons in particular, this is a great plant to get your hands on. Your experience when growing it will be a unique and valuable source of information about this little-known variety. A true frontier to conquer!
Luckily, from our experience, Eriocaulon 'Udonthani' appears to be one of the more forgiving varieties that is not nearly as challenging as something like Eriocaulon King Crimson. Like all Eriocaulons, E. 'Udonthani' is naturally a soft-water plant but it adapts surprisingly well to most average municipal tap water so it's suitable for the vast majority of planted aquariums.
CO2 injection will certainly make it grow faster, but, surprisingly, can do very well without CO2. Eriocaulons generally like high lighting though the varieties with broader leaves seem more less light demanding.
Like all Eriocalons, E. 'Udonthani' is a voracious root feeder and should be placed somewhere where there is sufficient space for its big, complex root system to spread out. Somewhat like the mycelia of mushrooms, its thin, delicate roots will grow densely through the substrate. Like most wetland monocots, they are definitely better at absorbing nutrients with their roots than leaves.
Definitely get some root tabs or our proprietary new fertilizer (coming soon).
QUICK NOTES:
Difficulty: Moderate
Type: Rosette
Size: 5 x 5cm typically; may grow up to 8 x 8cm. Normally 6 x 6(cm)
Native Range: Asia
Position and Usage: Foreground to midground. Fantastic specimen plant.
Growth Rate: Moderate
Lighting: 3/5 – 5/5
Water conditions: Prefers softer water and temperatures between 20 - 28°C but is highly adaptable
CO2: Not required but will accelerate growth
Propagation: Sexual reproduction through seed. Will produce flower stalks from the middle of the plant. Pinch off flower stalks if reproduction is not desired as the bolting flowers are a significant use of energy.
Special requirements: Root tabs or other substrate fertilization.Terrarium use and emersed growth: This is an AMAZING plant for a terrarium or paludarium. Like all Eriocaulons it appreciates a good amount of humidity and loose planting media but it looks awesome and is extremely undemanding when grown as a terrestrial plant. It naturally remains smaller than the somewhat similar Eriocaulon 'Broadleaf' and much smaller than most grasses or rreeds so will generally not need much trimming.
Description
What are Eriocaulons?
Eriocaulons are a fascinating group of aquatically growing plants that are very new to the hobby but widespread throughout the world (including North America where it is found in specific habitats.)
Eriocaulons are monocots like grasses, and rushes (eg. Juncus), as well as the very diverse order Alismatales which include Sword Plants, Anubias, Crypts as well as Bucephalandras and many misc. plants like Lagenandra. Plants from this lineage are a large proportion of the most popular house plants: they are beautiful and undemanding - able to grow in limited light indoors.
All monocotyledonous plants share a common ancestor (they are monophyletic), on the basis of their physiology, the amazingly diverse adaptive radiation, and the environments they are most commonly found in, it is believed by most that monocots are all derived from an aquatic ancestor, with some plants adapting to a terrestrial environment but are still able to have submerged their roots in water.
In some ways, Eriocaulons are superficially similar to grass-like rushes that thrive in waterlogged peripheral areas of a pond, lake, or river but closer examination reveals many differences in root structure and growth form (among others). Eriocaulons have a tendency to grow their shoots outward, often being compared to the appearance of a porcupine.
A group of healthy Eriocaulons is a sight to behold in a planted aquarium because of their unique appearance and since they are rare and a relative newcomer in the planted aquarium and terrarium hobbies. That being said, these plants are so interesting that there's an increasing amount of interest. Dozens of different varieties have either been discovered, many of which are endemic to a very small area in nature, or selectively bred.
While different varieties differ in color (E. King Crimson), leaf appearance (E. Broadleaf), size, and variety of other characteristics, Eriocaulons have a common body plant that is similar to most monocotyledonous plants and grasses with a "crown" (or Basal Plate) from which blade-like leaves grow from in a rosette pattern. The rosette shape of Eriocaulons is very obvious and striking which gives them an especially captivating appearance and makes them a great way to complement the stem plants that are often the backbone of a planted aquarium.
Even though Eriocaulons are becoming increasingly popular as handsome and reasonably easy-to-grow additions to aquascapes. Though different variants differ, in general, they like being in bright light and soft water, though they can also be quite flexible about the latter. They do not require CO2 even if it does improve their growth rate. Once the plants have settled in successfully, they will be a hardy, reliable motif in your aquascape.
One great reason to use Eriocaulons instead of grasses or rushes is that Eriocaulons are smaller plants that say small without the need for constant trimming. In either an aquarium or a terrarium, it can be much more convenient and helps to scale a scape to look bigger than it really is.
Eriocaulons reproduce sexually via flowers and fruit which grow at the end of sturdy stalks shooting out from the center of the plant. Unless you are planning to harvest the seeds, we recommend trimming off the flower stalks as soon as you see them. They are very resource intensive to produce and may cause changes to the mother plant.
For a terrarium or paludarium, Eriocaulons are an amazing addition. They are not only really cool looking and different, but they are also undemanding and adapt well to that kind of a growing environment where they will grow faster and more robust than submerged in an aquarium. Their fine, probing roots can help keep planting media loose and well-aerated.
Eriocaulons are an awesome plant for your collection - whether you have a planted aquarium, a terrarium, or both. You really cannot go wrong with such a unique-looking, beautiful plant that's sure to strike up plenty of conversation!
