Nanjenshan Rotala

Rotala sp. 'Nanjenshan' came into the trade in 1993 through Dennerle and is named for the single Taiwanese site it is known from. It is sometimes sold as Mayaca sellowiana, which it has nothing to do with; the real Mayaca is an unrelated plant. Its submersed leaves are very narrow and sit in whorls of three to six, on stems normally kept to about 20 cm, and suitable cultivation temperatures are 22 to 28 °C at pH 4.5 to 7.5. Its tolerance band is unusually wide for a tropical stem, though the narrower figures are what the plant is actually grown at.

Colour follows light and iron: good light reddens the shoot tips, and the leaves run from light green to red. It wants soft, CO₂-rich water and consistent dosing, and it responds badly to gaps, stopping and darkening at the tips when feeding lapses. Growth is quick once it has settled, so trimming is regular; the cut tops can go straight back into the substrate to thicken a midground group.