The Crypts pages~ by Jan D. Bastmeijer

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 uenoi Y. Sasaki

In 2002 Mr. Yuji Sasaki from the Rayon Vert Aquarium, Kumamoto, Japan, collected this species in Sarawak, South West of Simmangan (Sri Aman). As he said, Mr. Ueno from Japan found C. uenoi already in 2001, but it was not recognized as a new species because the leaves of the plant are quite look like C. keei. Because of the extreme low water level in 2002, Sasaki found flowering plants. It is quite amazing that this new species could be found in such a well investigated area.

Click on the picture to get the full image (ca. 50 kB)

Habitus of C. uenoi. Note the irregular bullated leaves (only a few).
coll. Sasaki M-SUSK
photo Sasaki

The spatha has the lower part buried in the ground. This may be simply by the deposition of soil.
coll. Sasaki M-SUSK
photo Sasaki

In this rather wide, muddy stream you would never find the plant unless the water level is low.
coll. Sasaki M-SUSK
photo Sasaki

Detail of the stream with an emersed sandbank covered with C. uenoi. Crypts do like sandbanks.
coll. Sasaki M-SUSK
photo Sasaki

Close-up of the limb of the spathe. Note the toothed margin. The collar is hardly visible.
coll. Sasaki M-SUSK
photo Sasaki

Another spathe of C. uenoi. The leaf on the background shows some variegated markings.
coll. Sasaki M-SUSK
photo Sasaki

The color of the leaves may vary from green with distinct markings (see left picture) to brown.
coll. Sasaki M-SUSK
photo Sasaki

The leaf has a pointed apex (acute) and cordate base. The depressions in the leaf are rather irregular.
coll. Sasaki M-SUSK
photo Sasaki

The main vein of the leaf may be a bit pale creamish in color. Size of the leaf up to 12 x 4 cm.
coll. Sasaki M-SUSK
photo Sasaki

The lower part of the tube (kettle) is inside whitish. The male flowers show a brown ring.
coll. Sasaki M-SUSK
photo Sasaki

Type material of C. uenoi that is deposited in the Leiden herbarium (L).
coll. Sasaki M-SUSK

Distribution of C. uenoi just South West from Simmangan (Sarawak).

Cryptocoryne uenoi is not so easy to cultivate, as far as we know today. For that reason, the chromosome number is not known yet.

Updated January 2003

Literature.

Sasaki, Y., 2002. Cryptocoryne uenoi Y. Sasaki (Araceae), eine neue Art aus Sarawak. Aqua Planta 27(4): 147-149.