Bucephalandra Centipede

Centipede is named for its leaf arrangement — narrow leaves set closely along a creeping rhizome, so an established plant looks like a segmented line running across the rock rather than a rosette. It is one of the more distinctive growth forms in the genus.

What You'll Receive

• Sold as a Bunched Plants or Potted Plants.
• Pictures are not the actual plants you will receive, but a sample representation.

Plant Profile

• Common name — Centipede Buce
• Scientific name — Bucephalandra sp. 'Centipede'
• Also known as — Buce, Bucep
• Origin — Borneo (genus range)
• Placement — Foreground to midground, attached to hardscape
• Mature height — 2-4 inches
• Growth rate — Slow

Care

• Difficulty — Beginner
• Light — Low to medium. Too much light brings algae the plant is too slow to outgrow.
• CO₂ — Not required
• Water — 72-82°F, pH 6.0-7.5
• Substrate — None needed. Epiphyte; feeds from the water column.
• Growth habit — Amphibious rhizome creeper; grows submersed or emersed
• Propagation — Rhizome division

Grower's Notes

• Mount it along a line, not in a clump. Centipede's appeal comes from the rhizome creeping in one direction with leaves spaced along it. Glue it lengthways down a branch or a stone edge and the pattern develops; bunch it up and you lose the effect entirely.
• Never bury the rhizome. Tie or glue it to wood or rock and leave it exposed; buried rhizomes rot.
• Farm-raised, not wild-collected. All the Bucephalandra we carry is farm-grown, and much of it is raised from tissue culture rather than collected from Borneo.
• Give it flow. Bucephalandra are rheophytes from fast Borneo streams, and moderate current keeps the leaves clean of debris and algae.
• Some leaf melt after shipping is normal. The rhizome survives and pushes new submersed leaves within a few weeks.

Want to go deeper? Read our complete Bucephalandra Care Guide.

Notes

Pictures are not the actual plants you will receive, but a sample representation. Unless specific, we don't guarantee aquatic plants will be free of pests, pesticides, grow emerged, or submerge.

Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.

At a glance

• Free shipping on orders of $150 or more (after discounts) within the contiguous United States, by USPS.
• Free thermal protection is included with every shipment, all year round.
• Processing: most orders leave us within 1 to 2 business days. Tracking is emailed when your order ships.
• USPS (2 to 5 business days) ships Monday through Saturday.
• UPS 2nd Day Air® ships Monday through Wednesday. Order by Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
• UPS Next Day Air® ships Monday through Thursday. Order by Wednesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
• Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and military addresses ship by USPS at a flat rate shown at checkout.
• Weather holds: during extreme heat or cold we may hold live orders until it's safe to ship.
• We ship within the United States only.

Please bring live plants indoors and unpack them the day they arrive. Every live order is covered by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee.

The complete rules, including lost packages and address issues, are in our Shipping Policy. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.

Every live order is backed by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee. If a plant arrives dead, we'll make it right.

How it works

• Tell us within 24 hours of the delivery time on your tracking.
• Send photos of the affected items in their original, unopened packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label, to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com with your order number.
• We'll make it right with a replacement, store credit or refund for the affected item.

Good to know

• Some melting or yellowing as plants adjust from greenhouse to aquarium life is normal. They regrow from healthy roots and rhizomes.
• Please bring your package indoors and unpack it the day it arrives.
• Free promotional items and shipping charges are not covered.

The complete rules, including what's covered and what voids the guarantee, are in our Returns, Refunds & Live Arrival Guarantee. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.

Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.

Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.

Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.