• Scientific name: Hydrocotyle leucocephala
• Common name: Brazilian pennywort
• Family: Umbelliferae
• Group: Aquarium plants
• Max height: 60 cm
• Distribution: Central America; South Mexico to northern Argentina
• Habitat: Populates both moderately moist as well as wet locations, rivers with slow-moving water, or flooded areas.
• Substrate: Nutrient-rich gravel
• Placement in aquarium: Middleground, foreground, floating
• Lighting needs: Bright
• Temperature: 20-25°C
• pH: 6-7,2
• Hardness: 2-12 NK°

Description: A recommended, undemanding, resistant and fast-growing plant, the species displays excellent adaptation to bad lighting conditions, which also makes it suitable for less well-illuminated aquariums. Healthy growth is mostly independent from water hardness and pH-value. The plant will prosper optimally in nutrient-rich and highly "polluted" water. Planted as a stem plant in the substrate, the shoots will have already reached the water surface within a few days, where they will continue to grow floating, will branch out strongly and develop a dense blanket of floating plants. To prevent other plants from loosing light, be sure to prune Brazilian pennywort regularly. Creeping emersed shoots are well suited for use in paludariums under high humidity conditions and it will flower often.

This plant is similar in appearance to Cardamine lyrata although the leaves are much larger, reaching 3-5 cm in diameter. It adapts to most aquarium conditions, although it does appreciate good lighting.