Journey to northern Peninsular Malaysia - Page 4 - Cryptocorynes

Kai Witte · 08-27-2007, 04:58 PM

Hello Mike,

Thanks for your great report & pics!

Quote:

August 12, 2007. I decided to go to explore southern Kedah and northern Perak to find a rare species of Cryptocoryne - Crypt. elliptica. This was a mission impossible because nobody really knows where to find it except the old location which has already been destroyed caused by development. Some people still found Crypt. in the old location at Perak, but all those Crypt. are the common Crypt. minima.

It's extinct at the type locality but other localities are known (and published

)...

It's great that you seem to have found another locality! The ecological niche fits nicely with Niels' and Josef's observations.

Do you remember seeing inflorescences with heavily bent limbs? I see only upright limbs in your pics while the strain I'm growing seems to usually twist the limb soon after opening. I'd love to compare these populations under identical growing conditions...

Kai Witte · 08-27-2007, 05:09 PM

Hello Mike,

Quote:

I heard that this species is not easy to cultivate in the aquarium.

Ottelia alismoides needs decent light but other than that it can be pretty easy. However, it hates being transplanted/shipped and that seems to be the main reason why it's not sold in LFSs. It does grow well from seed (and fast, too!) though.

BTW, thanks for the other pics - I also like Utricularia, Nepenthes, orchids, etc. as well as all those swimming critters!

Kai Witte · 08-27-2007, 05:20 PM

Hello Bert,

Quote:

So are you saying that C. elliptica can propagate like a java fern?

Yes, as the others already confirmed.

However, you can't just hack any leaf into pieces and expect many bab crypts (like in Microsorum, Begonia, African violets, etc.)!

This crypt has a single growing point at the base of each leaf and you have to remove the whole leaf carefully (actually the leaves break off pretty easily since this is the only way of vegetative propagation for this crypt species). In younger leaves, the dormant growing point can be seen as a little white speck within the plant tissue while older leaves will show developing plantlets or fully grown daughter plants as shown on Mike's pic.

junglemike · 08-29-2007, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kai Witte

Hello Mike,

Thanks for your great report & pics!

It's extinct at the type locality but other localities are known (and published

)...

It's great that you seem to have found another locality! The ecological niche fits nicely with Niels' and Josef's observations.

Do you remember seeing inflorescences with heavily bent limbs? I see only upright limbs in your pics while the strain I'm growing seems to usually twist the limb soon after opening. I'd love to compare these populations under identical growing conditions...

Thanks Kai. No, the spathe is an upright limb.

junglemike · 08-29-2007, 03:10 AM

Something about Borneo:

An interesting programme from Al Jazeera.net about the tribes in Borneo....and also the deforestation. Please watch the documentary by clicking on the image (Youtube):

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exer...5CEB26BE49.htm