Art_Giacosa

"Cryptocoryne purpurea (Purple Water Trumpet) is a beautiful plant that can only be found hidden in the deep swampy waters of Tasek Bera, Malaysia. It had lain submerged in the lake's water, undiscovered until Professor Niels Jacobsen from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark, stumbled upon it in 1985 during one of his field visits to Pos Iskandar, Tasek Bera. No sooner had it been identified and documented, the Purple Water Trumpet once again returned to obscurity."

I am quoting from the Ramsar Convention on Wetland website. The site describes the project that is underway to save this plant from extinction because of a loss of its native habitat.

It is important for us as hobbyists to start thinking about helping to save some of these species. How? Tissue culture? Emersed culture?

Any thoughts?

tsunami

Does C. purpurea exist in the US still? Does anyone in this country grow it?

A species maintenance program would be beneficial to uncommon Cryptocorynes or ones with very small rangesin the wild. Some crypts are only known from one locality!

Emersed culture would probably be the best way to keep them going.

Carlos

HeyPK

I recall that C. parva has a very restricted range and should be considered endangered. Quite a few of us Crypt nuts have it, and we should set aside some in emersed culture, just for safe keeping. It is a pretty little plant, but slow to spread.

Re C. purpurea, I would love to get my hands on some!