# Cryptocoryne of southern Peninsular Malaysia



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

Hi all,

My friends & I went for a fishing trip at the beginning of November 2007 in Johor state of Malaysia. At the same time we went there to search for _Crypt longicauda _& _Crypt decus-silvae _but failed to find both species.

Day 1. We didn't find any Crypt except some water plants.....

The freshwater swamp in northern Johor:










We found a HUGE population of very very rare species of semi-aquatic plant, _Barclaya rotundifolia _ !!










I was shocked to see a small clump of Amazon sword plant growing near the stream!!!










Amazon sword plant,_ Echinodorus _ sp. (This one MUST BE introduced by somebody into this stream)










Found _Limnophila_ sp. (native water plant) in the same stream.


----------



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

Day 2. Caught a lot of fish but failed to find any Crypt except this aquatic carnivorous plant, _Utricularia bifida_:










Day 3. Welcome to the rainy season. It rained for the whole morning again. It was another bad day again to explore in the swampy forest in the east coast as all the leeches were coming out to hunt for blood!!!

Before leaving Kota Tinggi, we had our breakfast in the Chinese stalls:










First location: Revisiting the site of _Crypt. schulzei_. As Lim never seen the flower of this species before, we came back there & found some beautiful flowers.










_Crypt. schulzei_ (in the stream).










The flower:


----------



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

Then, We went to visit the site of natural cross hybrid of _Crypt. purpurea_:










The flower of natural cross hybrid of _Crypt. purpurea_:










After that, we went to an old logging site to explore. There are a lot of jungle streams & swamps in that area. We found a beautiful swamp where an unidentified species of Crypt found growing there. We think it's _Crypt. cordata_.










_Crypt. cordata_ ? (submerged condition)










Then we found even more unidentified species of Crypt. in different spots. One of the jungle streams:










No idea what species of Crypt. is this ?


----------



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

After taking our lunch in a Malay stall near the road, we headed east to Kahang. The road is cutting through a lowland forest. A year ago when I was travelling along this road, I could see the dense forest on the both side of that country road....but now......:










Luckily, they didn't chop down all the trees in that area. We managed to find an undisturbed jungle not far away (but for how long?).....

_Crypt nurii _ (on the river bed):










_Crypt nurii _ is growing abundantly in this river.










_Crypt nurii_:










Then, we went to another spot & found this unidentified species looks like _Crypt. schulzei_:










_Betta pugnax_ in its natural habitat:


----------



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

Last location is a clearwater stream where a species of aquatic carnivorous plant (_Utricularia uliginosa_) grows abundantly there. My "jaw dropped" when I saw a school of chocolate gourami swam together in the stream. Chocolate gourami is usually live in acidic blackwater stream.....but now we realized that those fish from the blackwater also can live well in the clearwater!!!

The jungle stream:










Close-up of _Utricularia uliginosa_:










The tiny flower of _Utricularia uliginosa_:



















My friend, Herman wanted to venture deep into the jungle but another friend, Lim stopped him. Lim told us that he was stung by killer wasps in this spot, few years ago. He said; few minutes after he was stung by the wasps, he went to get his motor bike but passed out later. Luckily a stranger (pass by motorist) sent him to a nearby hospital when he fainted at the roadside......

After packing our staff, Herman sent me off at Sepang airport to catch the last flight back to Borneo.

The north-south highway:










THE END.


----------



## orlando (Feb 14, 2007)

Fun stuff , way to live.................


----------



## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

Wow. Just wow...


----------



## FacePlanted (Aug 13, 2007)

What a cool photo journal. I would love to visit places like these some day. Its sad that parts are being chopped down. Hopefully there will be some "undisturbed jungle streams" to explore if I ever make it there in the distant future.

Thank you so much for sharing your pictures. They are great.

-Mike B-


----------



## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

That is such a neat trip. I love looking at all of your pictures.


----------



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

Thanks to everyone for viewing my pictures. Southern Peninsular M'sia is always a paradise for Crypt.


----------



## DelawareJim (Nov 15, 2005)

Thanks for the pictures. I love seeing the Crypts in their natural habitat. Keep up the great work.

Cheers.
Jim


----------



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

DelawareJim said:


> Thanks for the pictures. I love seeing the Crypts in their natural habitat. Keep up the great work.
> 
> Cheers.
> Jim


Thanks. Next year I will go to southern China to photograph the Crypt there.


----------



## Khamul1of9 (Oct 25, 2005)

Wow! Great stuff. I always enjoy your photo essays.


----------



## zmeq (Apr 21, 2005)

Very good story and pictures eace:


----------



## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

Great pictures.

BTW, what were you fishing for and were you successful?


----------



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

Thanks guys.

Ed, I was collecting _Betta persephone_, a type of wild fighting fish.


----------



## Xema (Mar 24, 2004)

Nice work!, beautiful and interesting images!

I am quite familiar with the purpurea hybrid.


----------



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

Xema said:


> Nice work!, beautiful and interesting images!
> 
> I am quite familiar with the purpurea hybrid.


Thanks Xema. Yup, that hybrid of x purpurea is called sp. "Kota Tinggi" by our fellow hobbyists from Singapore.


----------



## DelawareJim (Nov 15, 2005)

'Kota Tinggi' is a beautiful plant. Ghazanfar and I got some from Xema at the ECS meeting. Mine's hanging on by a thread though. It didn't like the trip back to the States. Definately will have to try more in the future.

Cheers.
Jim


----------



## Xema (Mar 24, 2004)

DelawareJim said:


> 'Kota Tinggi' is a beautiful plant. Ghazanfar and I got some from Xema at the ECS meeting. Mine's hanging on by a thread though. It didn't like the trip back to the States. Definately will have to try more in the future.
> 
> Cheers.
> Jim


Don´t worry Jim, mine are growing finely sending runners regularly. In fact, a new flower ins coming up in the following days.
And I am testing it in the sumersed way with the last runners that sent.


----------



## DaFishMan (Dec 4, 2005)

Thanks for sharing your trip that was awesome


----------



## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

Michale the November issue of TFH showed up on my doorstep today and has your article about crypts of Sarawak - very very nice. But there's no keei picture in the article. Do you have one by chance? 

The bullosa picture is stunning.


----------



## rusticitas (Mar 10, 2004)

Wow. WOW! That was fantastic! Thank you so very, very much for doing that and taking the time to write it up and post it. That is so cool to look through!

-Jason


----------



## hedson_25 (Sep 20, 2005)

greate!


----------

