# Cryptocoryne x willisii 'lucens' growing upside down?!



## Franco (Jun 25, 2010)

I bought some what I think is Cryptocoryne x willisii 'lucens' from the LFS about 2 months ago for a walstad type tank and I noticed before I planted it that the plants are growing upside down. The roots are growing up and then curving down and the leaves are growing down and then curving back up. It seems to be impeding its growth.

Should I try to bend the leaves and roots in the right direction and plant it? It seems quite fragile.

Or should I just cut off the leaves and replant it with the roots facing the right direction and hope it sends out new leaves?

Thanks


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

It was probably floating with the roots growing down and the leaves up, and then it got flipped over. Just plant it. It will grow the roots down and the leaves up whichever way you plant it.


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## Cvurb (May 23, 2010)

I agree with HeyPK, I got all my leaves of my Crypts all weird facing, and some upside down, but they all straightened out. Crypts are awesome plants


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## Franco (Jun 25, 2010)

These plants hadn't been moved in the LFS's tank for months. I got a crap load of crypts because the clerk thought that each GROVE of crypts counted as one plant. I was able to separate all 3 groves I bought into like 40 plants. It took forever to plant them all. I ended up with 3 types of C. wendtii, some brown crypt with ruffled leaves and pink undersides which has quadrupled in size (unfortunately I planted it in a front corner so its getting a little big), and these "Lucens". These plants are all in a 10 gallon so they look freakin awesome. Its like a crypt forest.
The C. willisii lucens was just 2 plants and the leafs had curved up and the roots down already when I bought it so maybe it will start producing more now that it is in a nutrient rich substrate. I had the hardest time IDing them because they are quite short at only 3 inches at the highest leaves but I definitely think they are C. willisii.
This is the first time I have ever had crypts and I am in love with them. 
Do crypts send out runners like swords or do the new leaves just start growing further and further from the original plant?
That is what looks like is happening in my tank. I put some peat on the bottom of the tank on one side and those crypts seem to be doing better than the ones on the other side without peat. I had very little melting and what did melt was already replaced by new growth.


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## Cvurb (May 23, 2010)

A picture could always be great  And that tank sounds awesome!


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