Full Specimen Plate
Bucephalandra kishii
Kishi's Rheophytic Aroid
- Digital Hygrometer & ThermometerLCD humidity and temperature gauge for checking a grow spot against a plant's target range.
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7cm Target Price
£15.00
Bucephalandra kishii Morphology
About Bucephalandra kishii
Sin Yeng Wong and Peter C. Boyce described Bucephalandra kishii in 2014, naming the species for plant explorer Hiroyuki Kishi. Native to West Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo, it grows as an obligate rheophyte on wet boulders along fast-flowing forest streams. The plant develops a thick creeping rhizome bearing small leathery leaves that exhibit an iridescent bronze sheen and fine stomatal flecks. It can be cultivated fully submersed in aquariums or emersed in high-humidity vivariums, provided its rhizome is mounted to hardscape rather than buried in soil.
Native Range
Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo
Market Hub
Bucephalandra kishii Sold Prices & Live Market
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Before You Buy
Species-specific things to check when evaluating a listing
- Verify the rhizome is firm and green-bronze without black rot
- Confirm roots are attached to a hardscape mount or ready for binding
- Inspect leaf surfaces for reflective stomatal dots characteristic of the genus
- Clarify whether the plant was grown emersed or submersed prior to purchase
Propagation Guide
How to Propagate Bucephalandra kishii
Propagation Guide
How to Propagate Bucephalandra kishii
8-12 weeks
Cultivar character is preserved through vegetative cuttings
Cut rhizomes using clean scissors; attach the section to rock or driftwood using cyanoacrylate gel or cotton thread.
Care Guide
Bucephalandra kishii Care Guide & Growing Conditions
Care Guide
Bucephalandra kishii Care Guide & Growing Conditions
Do not bury in soil; attach onto volcanic lava rock, slate, driftwood, or porous ceramic mounts
For emersed setups, keep kishii roots continuously wet via capillary action; for submersed setups, maintain clean filtered water
Requires 85% to 100% humidity if grown emersed; leaves dry out rapidly in open household air
Provide dilute liquid micro-nutrient solution; in aquariums, standard water-column dosing is sufficient
Divide or remount kishii rhizomes every two years as stems expand across their rock mount
Common Problems
Rhizome rot and rapid leaf loss
Burying the creeping kishii rhizome under soil, sand, or gravel
Uncover the rhizome immediately and tie it onto an exposed rock or wood surface
Algae growth on leaf blades in submersed culture
Excessive light duration combined with low dissolved carbon dioxide
Reduce lighting period to 6 hours daily and introduce algae-eating nerite snails
Field Reference
In the Wild
Field Reference
In the Wild
Field Notes
Field Notes: Flash Floods of West Kalimantan
Bucephalandra kishii was published in 2014 by Wong Sin Yeng and Peter C. Boyce, honouring Hiroyuki Kishi for his discoveries in West Kalimantan. The species lives on basalt and sandstone boulders in stream channels where water currents run strong. Its wire-like roots penetrate tiny rock fissures, while thick leathery leaves resist hydraulic shearing forces during flash floods. The upper leaf surface bears dense microscopic stomatodes that scatter light, producing a distinctive metallic gleam.
