Death case

Murdannia keisak, scientific name Murdannia keisak. The plant is native to tropical swamps in Southeast Asia. Grows underwater and on wet substrates along the shore. To date, it is found in the wild in the southern regions of Europe and North America, where it was introduced along with rice crops.

It is a close relative of the popular houseplant Tradescantia, although outwardly it looks more like an ordinary grass – with a tall thin stem and alternately arranged paired leaves. The underwater and surface forms of this plant are almost identical. In the air, the stem and leaves are covered with small villi. In the immersed state, the villi are absent, and young leaves may acquire a reddish tint.

The plant needs soft slightly acidic water, nutrient soil and a high level of lighting. In favorable conditions, it grows quickly and often outgrows the surface of the water.

For the first time, specialists from Asia (Japan, Thailand, Malaysia) began to use Murdannia keisak in aquariums. It has been delivered to Europe since the beginning of 2012.