# a different form of usteriana



## Aaron (Feb 12, 2004)

Cleaned out one of my tubs and pulled this out to take a look at it.








This is a dark leaved form of usteriana. Though the leaves are proportionately shorter and wider than the normal green usteriana that is going around, it is a much larger, robust plant. This plant has been growing submersed for 7 straight years and has never been repotted.


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## king kong (Jul 2, 2012)

Wow that is outstanding growth. Is the tub a flow through system? What method do you fertilize?
Gary


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## Aaron (Feb 12, 2004)

Gary, the tub is not filtered or circulated. It gets topped off by rain or by tap water, whichever comes first. The tubs hold 30 gallons of water and have them situated under a tree and in my green house. My fert regimen consists of dead leaves that fall into the tub and slowly decompose. I've been keeping this and other crypts in this fashion for at least 10 years. I've done the emergent culture thing, and the high tech CO2 thing and I've found that this technique in keeping crypts for the long term works best for me.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

nice Aaron. let me ask you, the ones i got from you about 3-4 years ago are this form or regular? is there a name to it?(ei collection place or such) and was this one emersed, submersed, a little of both?? thanks =)


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## Aaron (Feb 12, 2004)

Damian,
Sorry, I dont remember, infact, you sure you got it from me?
I keep three different usteriana. This one, which came to me as C. coronata, another from Oriental Aquarium, and the last from Gasser. I did spread the one from Oriental around and I think that is the one that most everyone has. IMO it is also the most useful in aquascapes.

Because I received the usteriana pictured in this thread as coronata, I have no idea where it was located. It resembles the "Morco" usteriana that is shown on Bastmeijer's site, but definitely not a match. This plant BTW is growing submersed. The leaves have been growing natant in fairly shallow water for years and it has never thrown up an aerial one. 

One day, I'll grow it in a deep tank and see how big this one really gets. I have a feeling it'll be gigantic like aponogetifolia.


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## king kong (Jul 2, 2012)

Aaron said:


> Gary, the tub is not filtered or circulated. It gets topped off by rain or by tap water, whichever comes first. The tubs hold 30 gallons of water and have them situated under a tree and in my green house. My fert regimen consists of dead leaves that fall into the tub and slowly decompose. I've been keeping this and other crypts in this fashion for at least 10 years. I've done the emergent culture thing, and the high tech CO2 thing and I've found that this technique in keeping crypts for the long term works best for me.


I am growing in 80 gallon tubs under palm trees. I flow about 1 gallon per hour to keep water clear and surface clean. Our well water even though calcium based is about neutral Ph pumped from well. I am getting my best results so far this way over short period of time. Maybe I was lucky. Interesting to hear how well it works for you. Know I feel better.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

im positive, many years ago u were passing it through gwapa and i got some shipped to me. i dont remember if u were downsizing or what.. been a while
this is my thread from a few years back. now it doesnt look so awesome anymore, i think my soil is pretty darn innert and this plant needs a lot more to keep it in great shape.... :http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/cryptocorynes/70656-crypt-usteriana.html

does the flower resemble ur plants?


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## Aaron (Feb 12, 2004)

ddavila06 said:


> im positive, many years ago u were passing it through gwapa and i got some shipped to me. i dont remember if u were downsizing or what.. been a while
> this is my thread from a few years back. now it doesnt look so awesome anymore, i think my soil is pretty darn innert and this plant needs a lot more to keep it in great shape.... :http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/cryptocorynes/70656-crypt-usteriana.html
> 
> does the flower resemble ur plants?


You have the wrong Aaron 

I don't know where Aaron Talbot got his usteriana from but it looks very much like the one that came from Oriental Aquarium that a bunch of us got in a group buy way back when this forum was just a year or so old. my plant shown here is something completely different. to me, it looks more like a giant bullated form of affinis
take a look at this thread from 2006. here is the plant grown emersed with inflorescence. It was shortly after this, I submerged the plant. I pretty much did nothing to it, other than top off its tub when the water level got low for the last six and half years. On the first page of the thread is the OA usteriana.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

lmao!!!!
yes i do have the wrong one!!! thanks


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## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

Here's the Morco plant fresh out of the river.

http://images.aquaria.net/plants/Cryptocoryne/u/UST/Morco/wild/


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