Murdannia keisak (Marsh Dewflower)

Murdannia keisak, the Marsh Dewflower, is an East Asian semi-aquatic plant in the spiderwort family that inhabits the margins of streams, rice paddies, and wet meadows. Its narrow, slightly succulent leaves take on attractive reddish and bronze tones under strong light, giving it an ornamental quality in both its submerged aquarium form and its emergent paludarium form. The three-petalled pink to lilac flowers, produced in the axils of the upper leaves, are delicate and beautiful.

In paludariums it is best used as a spreading waterline marginal, where stems creep horizontally over moist substrate and at the water's edge, rooting at nodes and filling in the transition zone with low, colourful foliage. It is a seasonal bloomer in paludariums with a light cycle, and the flowers have a short but charming display period. Easy to grow and maintain with minimal intervention.

Light: Medium to high; 2,000–5,000 lux; bronze-red colouration is only achieved under strong light. CO2/Humidity: No CO2; grow with roots at or below waterline; emergent stems in humid air. Fertilisation: Monthly dilute all-purpose fertiliser; iron supplementation enhances red pigmentation. Placement: Plant at the waterline margin; allow stems to creep horizontally over both moist substrate and water surface. Propagation: Stem cuttings with nodes placed in saturated substrate root within one week.