by Jan D. Bastmeijer ~ 2016
Suwidji Wongso & Co.
 
These pages are on the cultivation and taxonomy of plants of the genus Cryptocoryne & Lagenandra (Araceae)
 
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Cryptocoryne parva de Wit

Cryptocoryne parva grows in the central highlands of Sri Lanka near Kandy. It is collected in the recent years only a very few times and must perhaps be regarded as a threatened species!

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A locality of C. parva in the highlands near Kandy, Sri Lanka
coll. NJ 23-14
photo Jacobsen
Detail of the locality near Kandy.
coll. NJ 23-14
photo Jacobsen
Locality in the Kegalle district, Sri Lanka.
coll. NJ 22-4
photo Jacobsen
An uproted specimen of C. parva
coll. Windelov
photo Windelov

       
Habitus of C. parva in emersed culture. The ruler division is 1 cm.
coll. hort., cult. B47
The limb of the spathe of C. parva never opens wide. There is a distinct collar.
coll. hort., cult. B47
A view inside the kettle of C. parva. The wall of the kettle being cut away for one half.
coll. hort., cult. B47
Cultivated specimen of C. parva
coll. hort. cult. NJ2896
photo Jacobsen

       
coll. AMR06-3 cult. B 1589
coll. AMR06-3 cult. B 1589
coll. AMR06-3 cult. B 1589
coll. AMR06-3 cult. B 1589
       
A small container, densily grown with C. parva at temperatures between 20- 25 C. Not the unopened spathe.
coll. hort., cult W51
photo van Wijngaarden

From the same container a rather long spathe. Note the narrow opening of the limb.
coll. hort., cult W51
photo van Wijngaarden
   
       
drawing V in Petch 1928
drawing V in Petch 1928
De Wit (1990) gives this drawing onf C. parva
drawing Ike Zewald
Distribution of C. parva on Sri Lanka
       

Cryptocoryne parva is the smallest Crypt, known until now. The leaves mostly not exceeding 6 cm. The spathe is about 1.5 cm. The leaves are grass-green without any purple. However this species is quite easy to cultivate, it is seldom seen in aquaria. It is an excellent plant for the foreground of a normal aquarium, growing not too fast, so reducing maintenance.
Already in 1928, Petch, who was director of the Botanical Gardens of Peredeniya (Sri Lanka), published in his Notes on Cryptocoryne a drawing of this species, which he regarded to be a C. nevillii (see more on this topic under C. x willisii). De Wit described it as Cryptocoryne parva in 1970.
Cryptocoryne parva grows in the central highlands of Sri Lanka near Kandy. It is collected in the recent years only a very few times and must perhaps be regarded as a threatened species!

Updated February 2002

Literature. :

  • Alston, A.H.G., 1938. Cryptocoryne in: The Kandy Flora : 68, fig.363-367 (with some drawings).
  • Eggers, G., 1994. Sri Lanka 2. Lagenandra- und Cryptocoryne-Arten. Aqua-Planta 1-94 : 20-28.
  • Graaf, A.de & Arends, J.C., 1986. The occurrence of Cryptocoryne and Lagenandra (Araceae) on Sri Lanka. Nord.J.Bot. 6 : 757-764.
  • Horst, K., 1986. Pflanzen im Aquarium. Ulmer, Stuttgart.
  • Jacobsen, N., 1976. Notes on Cryptocoryne of Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Bot.Notiser 129 : 179-190.
  • Jacobsen, N., 1977. Zytologie und Taxonomie der Cryptocorynen Sri Lankas. Aqua-Planta 4-77 : 3-8 (cover).
  • Jacobsen, N., 1981. Cryptocoryne undulata Wendt und Bemerkungen zu andere Arten. Aqua-Planta 2-81 : 31-38 (cover).
  • Jacobsen, N., 1981. Cryptocoryne undulata Wendt und Bemerkungen zu anderen Arten - ein Nachtrag. Aqua-Planta 4-81 : 92-94.
  • Jacobsen, N., 1982. Cryptocorynen. Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart.
  • Jacobsen, N., 1987. Cryptocoryne in: A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon, Vol. VI: 85-99.
  • Kasselmann, C., 1995. Aquarienpflanzen. Ulmer, Stuttgart.
  • Möhlmann, F., 1993. Die Cryptocoryne-Arten Ceylons (1). Aqua-Planta 4-93 : 123-128.
  • Petch, B.A., 1928. Notes on Cryptocoryne. Annals R.Bot.Gard., Peradeniya : Vol.11 part 1 : 11-26, pl 2-5. (Document service)
  • Trimen, H., 1885. Notes on the Flora of Ceylon. J.Bot. 23 : 269.
  • Wendt, A., 1958. Die Gattung Cryptocoryne Fischer. Die Aquariumpflanzen in Wort und Bild (1952-1958), Stuttgart.
  • Wit, H.C.D.de, 1970. A key to the species of Cryptocoryne Fisch. ex Wydler (Araceae). Misc. papers 6 LH Wageningen : 257-280.
  • Wit, H.C.D.de, 1971. Het genus Cryptocoryne (22). Cryptocoryne lucens de Wit, Cryptocoryne parva de Wit. Het Aquarium 41(12) : 291-293.
  • Wit, H.C.D.de, 1990. Aquarienpflanzen, 2. Auflage. Ulmer, Stuttgart.
 
 
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