For the understanding of the diversity in Cryptocoryne, Ike Zewald played a major role by her very nice line drawings, published in the many articles and books of de Wit. She 'reconstructed' many plants by making a drawing based on the type specimens deposited in the various herbaria in the world. She also was a a very kind guide to the greenhouse, you would never leave without some runners of rare Crypts.
Born in 1929 near Bogor Botanical Garden (Java, Indonesia), she left for the Netherlands after WW2 and was educated as designer and goldsmith. But her carreer was as an artist at the Laboratorium for Taxonomy at the Wageningen Agricultural University, mainly oriented on African plants but also - de Wit's hobby - on Cryptocoryne and Lagenandra. Her carreer was from 1955 to 1990. See also the fabulous line drawings on Cryptocoryne
Ike Zewald in the greenhouse at Wageningen University around 1985. She hold record of new imported Cryptocoryne and had a close watch on their development. photo Bastmeijer
In honor to Ike Zewald, de Wit described a new species: Cryptocoryne zewaldiae. A slight bullate, bright green leaved plant. Today its regarded as a form in the C. minima complex (de Wit 1990). drawing Ike Zewald
From all over the world, people shipped plants to Wageningen, which were registered by Ike. Gasser (USA) shipped f.e. his unknown Cryptocoryne cf griffithii 'T 81'. photo Bastmeijer
The entries of Cryptocoryne in the Wageningen greenhouse were recorded by Ike in her notebook. A page with notes on Gasser's C. cf griffithii 'T 81' with details on the limb and the stigma's (1975, in Dutch). notes Ike Zewald
There was already a tradition in Wageningen to make aquarels when Ike arrived. This unpublished drawing of Cryptocoryne undulata (in former days called C. willisii) was made by Els Gerhardt. aquarel Els Gerhardt
Another example by Els Gerhardt.
L to r: C. beckettii, C. undulata, C. x willisii, C. walkeri (C. lutea). In Legro 1956. aquarel Els Gerhardt
A coproduction of Els Gerhardt and Ike Zewald. Bottom row l-r: C. walkeri (2x), C. versteegii, C. longicauda. Top row l-r: C. purpurea, C. thwaitesii. In de Wit 1961. aquarel Ike Zewald / Els Gerhardt
L to r: C. purpurea, C.fusca, C. x willisii (C. lucens), C. wendtii, C. spiralis. In de Wit 1964. aquarel Ike Zewald
References to the aquarels:
Legro, R.A.H. & H.C.D. de Wit, 1956. Enkele aantekeningen over Cryptocorynen. Het Aquarium 27(7): 149-153.
Wit, H.C.D.de, 1961. Het genus Cryptocoryne (19). Het Aquarium 31(11) : 256-257.
Wit, H.C.D.de, 1964. Het genus Cryptocoryne (20). Het Aquarium 34(7) : 148-150.
See also the page on de Wit, with other references to literature.
