Difformis Bolbitis

Mini Bolbitis is a trade name commonly applied to Bolbitis heteroclita 'Difformis', a small fern from Negros in the Philippines. Its divided leaves and creeping rhizome make it useful on moist hardscape in a warm terrarium or paludarium. Other small ferns are sometimes sold under the same label, so a miniature appearance alone does not establish that a plant is this form or that it suits submerged cultivation.

This fern grows best above water on moderately moist soil. Submerged cultivation is possible, but growth is extremely slow and the leaves are smaller and coarser than the land form. It should not be chosen as a quick aquarium foreground filler. Secure it to lava rock or another suitable surface with the rhizome exposed, and allow it to establish without frequent disturbance.

Keep water at 23 to 28 °C and pH 5 to 7.5, with a broad light range. Those figures do not remove the difference between its submerged and terrestrial performance. Propagate by rhizome division or by separating developed plantlets. Retain healthy growing sections and give each time to produce new leaves. When planning a display, choose its position according to the growth form you intend to maintain.