Ashy Pipewort
Eriocaulon cinereum
Eriocaulaceae
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About
Eriocaulon cinereum grows as a dense, flat starburst of stiff needle-thin leaves radiating from one central crown, about 5-10 cm across and up to roughly 10 cm tall. It is easy to mistake for hairgrass at a glance, but Eleocharis spreads by runners while every Eriocaulon rosette is a single self-contained plant anchored by a root mass two to three times longer than its foliage. A rice-paddy species from Asia, Africa and Australia, it reaches shops almost exclusively as in-vitro tissue culture and is one of the genuinely demanding plants in the hobby: strong light and injected CO2 are the baseline for survival, not upgrades, and while it handles medium-hard water better than most of its genus, soft acidic water is what keeps it healthy. It is also effectively an annual - it flowers freely once planted and usually dies back after setting seed.
Care
Demanding and not a beginner plant. Give it high light, injected CO2 and soft, acidic water over deep, nutrient-rich aquasoil, plus both root tabs and full water-column dosing. It melts as it converts from emersed growth and sulks badly when uprooted, so plant each rosette once, 7-10 cm apart, and then leave it undisturbed. Treat it as an annual: it flowers very willingly once planted, flowering drains the plant, and most specimens decline and die after setting seed - so divide healthy clumps while you still can if you want to keep the species going.
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Frequently asked questions
- What water parameters does a Ashy Pipewort need?
- Ashy Pipewort does best at 18–30 °C (64.4–86 °F), pH 4.5–7 and a general hardness of 2–8 °dGH.
- Where should Ashy Pipewort be placed in the aquarium?
- Ashy Pipewort works best in the foreground and reaches around 10 cm.
- Is the Ashy Pipewort suitable for beginners?
- Ashy Pipewort is a demanding species best attempted with some experience — it needs stable, closely watched conditions to thrive.
Sources
- Flowgrow Wasserpflanzen-Datenbank - Eriocaulon cinereum
- Tropica Aquarium Plants - Eriocaulon cinereum (091 TC)
- Dennerle Plants - Eriocaulon cinereum
- Shrimp and Snail Breeder - Eriocaulon Cinereum Care Guide
- Fishy Wiki - Eriocaulon cinereum
- Flora of the Southeastern United States (NCBG) - Eriocaulon cinereum