Lilaeopsis Macloviono

Lilaeopsis "macloviono" is a small South American grass plant, listed here under a variant spelling of Lilaeopsis macloviana. Like the rest of the genus it grows as short tufts of narrow, upright blades joined by creeping runners, and given time those runners knit the tufts into a low turf rather than leaving a single clump.

Aquarium care

• Foreground grass: plant small tufts a few centimetres apart and let the runners join them up.
• Slow. Filling a foreground takes months rather than weeks.
• Needs good light reaching the substrate to stay short and dense, and shaded plants thin out and die back.
• A rooted feeder, so a nutritive substrate or root tabs help it spread.
• CO2 is not essential but noticeably speeds up runner growth.
• Fine-grained substrate makes planting the small tufts far easier.

Best in a patient, well-lit planted tank with small fish. Pygmy corydoras, small tetras, dwarf rasboras and shrimp all sit well over a low carpet, while digging fish will undo the work.

Stock rotates, and plants are for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. Browse the live plants collection.