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Mid 1999 there were unknown plants in the aquarium shops in Jakarta, Indonesia, said to come from 'Timika'. Any further report.
photo Wongso |
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Timika is known for the Freeport Grasberg gold and copper mine. See for more information and
photos Wikipedia. As usual, before the start of the mining, an botanical investigation was made by scientists. March 1999. See their results...
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On the plains there are streams, at high water inundating the fields...
photo Edwards et. al. |
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... where Edwards with his group found this Cryptocoryne.
photo Edwards et. al. |
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Apparently no dense shrubs and other vegetation on the loamy soil.
photo Edwards et. al. |
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The plant was determined by Peter Boyce as C. versteegii what is evident because of the spathe. And so it was sent to the various herbaria without any further notice...
photo Edwards et. al.
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This specimen is deposed in the Bogor herbarium.
coll. Edwards 4055, herb. BO. |
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The Edwards 4055 collection remained unnoticed until 2004 and the link with the 'Timika' plant was made immediately. The leaves are totally different from C. versteegii var. versteegii but the spathe is exactly the same.
drawing V. G. Friis. |
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Wongso and Takahashi made their trip to Timika in May 2005. They were able to find a stream outside the Freeport plant, a strictly forbidden area today.
photo Wongso |
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A rapid in the stream...
photo Wongso
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... with lots of the new Cryptocoryne.
photo Wongso |
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Seen from underwater.
photo Wongso |
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The same rapid.
photo Takahashi |
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A picture from the other side.
photo Wongso
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An uprooted plant.
coll. SW0502
photo Wongso |
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Var. jayaensis is rooted in loamy mineral soil. Note the long rhizomes.
coll. SW0502
photo Wongso |
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A short, rough red limb with a bright yellow throat.
coll. SW0502
photo Wongso |
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More brownish.
coll. SW0502
photo Wongso
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The yellow collar zone a bit higher on the limb of the spathe.
coll. SW0502, cult. B1122 |
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The same plant as left.
coll. SW0502, cult. B1122 |
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var. jayaensis (left) and var. versteegii (right) in the Copenhagen greenhouse
coll. SW0502 (l) and HBH1671/8 (r)
photo Jacobsen |
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The leaves have a rather long and soft blade in contrast with var. versteegii.
coll. SW0502, cult. B1122
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Opened kettle of var. jayaensis
coll. SW0502, cult. B1122
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Distribution of var. jayaensis (blue) and var. versteegii (red). |
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Cultivation is relative simple in a mineral soil with some peat litter or in beech tree litter.
Water parameters at the locality: pH 6.64, ORP 135mV, WT 26.2℃ (12:00), TDS 27ppm, EC 50uS/cm (Wongso)
Update January 2016
for more literature see the page for C. versteegii var. versteegii |
Literature.
- Jacobsen N., Bastmeijer J. D., Edwards P. J., Johns R. J., Takahashi N. & Wongso S., 2104. A new variety of Cryptocoryne
versteegii (Araceae) from Irian Jaya Tengah, Indonesia. – Willdenowia 44: 385 – 391. (Document service). |
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