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Cryptocoryne wendtii de Wit |
Cryptocoryne wendtii is very variable species. Not only there occur many
different types, they too change their habit due to environmental conditions. Until there
is a good documentation of their localities, it makes hardly sense to describe var's. And
when you might do, what to say about fifteen var's? Some nurseries use a cultivar name
like the 'Mi Oya', which is named after the locality. The pictures are taken from emersed
plants. The notes must be referenced to the description of the type (drawing see below).
Click on the picture to get the full image (ca. 50 kB) |
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A rather small leaved form with a wide undulated margin. The
limb of the spathe is twisted and has a purplish color inside.
coll. hort., cult. B28 |
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A quite 'normal' specimen of C. wendtii. The leaves are
grass-green, in submersed culture they may develop grayish spots. The limb of the spathe
is yellow and is rather open.
coll. hort., cult. B586 (=M31)
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This form has short cordate leaves with pronounced dark
veins. The same plant can develop elongated green leaves when grown submersed.
coll. hort., cult. B95 |
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A giant form of C. wendtii. The leaves easily reach
25 cm, with blades of 13 x 6 cm! Younger leaves are somewhat bullate.
coll. hort., cult. B345 |
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C. wendtii has a small, deep brown pronounced
collar. The limb is normally reddish brown as seen here.
coll. hort., cult. B345 |
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A yellow limb of the spathe. Note that the limb is twisted in
the opposite direction. The oblique position is typical for C. wendtii, but often
its not the case.
coll. hort., cult. B586 (=M31)
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A very twisted limb of the spathe. The color of the limb is
pale yellow with some brownish. Note that the limb of C. wendtii is almost always
asymmetrical.
coll. Stam 5, cult. B392 |
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A quite amazing C. wendtii. A wide opened limb of
the spathe a greenish yellow color make this spathe resemble a C.
beckettii.
coll. hort., cult. B36 |
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A giant spathe of C. wendtii. This spathe has a
rather broad collar and is wide opened. Nobody likes to say that this is a C. wendtii.
coll. hort., cult. B94 |
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A pretty normal spathe of C. wendtii. This one is a
bit more reddish.
coll. hort., cult. B28
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Too a very normal spathe of C.wendtii. The color of
the limb is not as dark as one might see.
coll. hort., cult. B291 |
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This specimen has a very high collar, unusual in C.
wendtii.
coll. hort., cult. B35 |
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A rather broad leafed C. wendtii.
coll. hort., cult. B291 |
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These bullated, brown leafed specimen may turn into a narrow
leafed, brown colored plant with dark stripes.
coll. hort., cult. B726 (=W42)
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A long spadix. Note the alveoli, as usual in C. wendtii.
coll. hort., cult. B94 |
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A rather short spadix. These characters are of little use in C.
wendtii.
coll. hort., cult. B28 |
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Another opened lower part of the spathe of C.
wendtii.
coll. hort., cult. B36 |
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Albert Wendt (1887-1958) was a fabulous hobby
grower with special interest in crypts. He published the famous 'Aquariumpflanzen in Wort
und Bild', a loose leaf book.
photo collection H.W.E.van Bruggen
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The 'original' form of C. wendtii from de
description of De Wit (de Wit 1958, 1990).
drawing Ike Zewald |
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Distribution of C. wendtii on Sri
Lanka. Probably there may several 'secondary' locations. |
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C. wendtii grows in the central part of Sri Lanka (Kandy area). There are
surprising few reports on the distribution of the different forms, only the Mi Oya form
has a well known locality. Jacobsen (1976), Eggers (1994), Horst (1986), de Graaf and
Arends (1986) give some localities.
It is well possible that there are some hybrids (from nature) included in this page. It
would be very valuable to make some backcrossings. The same is true for other species from
Sri Lanka, see for example C. beckettii.
Updated February 1998 |
Literature.
- Dötsch, A. 1984. Cryptocoryne wendtii de Wit (Pflanzenportrait).
Aqua-Planta 3-84 : 17-18.
- 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 (cover).
Aqua-Planta 4-77 : 3-8.
- Jacobsen, N. 1977. Chromosome numbers and taxonomy in Cryptocoryne (Araceae). Bot.Notiser
130 : 71-87.
- Jacobsen, N. 1982. Cryptocorynen Cryptocorynen, Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart.
- Jacobsen, N. 1987. Cryptocoryne. A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon, Vol. VI:
85-99.
- Kasselmann, C. 1995. Aquarienpflanzen Ulmer, Stuttgart.
- Möhlmann, F. 1977. Die ceylonesischen Cryptocoryne-Arten. Aqua-Planta 1-77 : 8-9.
- Möhlmann, F. 1985. Reich an Varianten ist Cryptocoryne wendtii De Wit. Das Aquarium 198 :
629-633.
- Möhlmann, F. 1994. Die Cryptocoryne-Arten Ceylons (2). Aqua-Planta 1-94 : 34-39.
- Rataj, K. 1975. Revision of the genus Cryptocoryne Fischer Studie CSAV, c.3.Praha..
- Rataj, K. & Horeman, T.J. 1977. Aquarium Plants TFH Publ, USA.
- Stam, C. 1981. Bevindingen bij het zoeken naar Cryptocoryne in Sri Lanka. Meded. WAP 1 :
3-5.
- Tomey, W.A. 1982. Hoe Cryptocorynen in Sri Lanka verdwijnen en verschijnen. Het Aquarium
52(8) : 208-211.
- Wit, H.C.D.de 1958. Cryptocoryne wendtii sp.nov. Meded.Bot.tuinen en het Belmonte
arboretum WAG Vol.II-4 : 97-101.
- Wit, H.C.D.de 1990. Aquarienpflanzen, 2. Auflage Ulmer, Stuttgart.
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