# The habitat of Cryptocoryne crispatula var. crispatula



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

Hi all, I just went to China few weeks ago to collect some fishes & Crypt.

The story:

April 4, 2008. It was public holiday in China. 3 of us; Mr Tree (Zhou Hang), Yellowman (Huang Bao Ping) & jungle mike (Michael Lo) decided to explore the river system in north eastern part of Guangdong province of southern China.

Due to some reasons, I do not want to disclose the places that we went but I will write down the names of nearby towns.

It was a cool & misty morning. We took the bus from Shenzhen city to a small town called Haifeng. There, we took a motorcycle taxi to a village.

Mr Tree went there before, about 2 years ago. When we reached the 1st location, he was so very upset because the stream was used to covered by evergreen broad-leaved forest of the subtropical zone. But now, it's gone!!! However, the upper stream is still not affected by the forest clearing, we managed to collect some fishes for few hours in the morning.

As I was feeling down because of the emotional (girl) problem back home, I didn't really collect fish in this trip except taken photos most of the time.

After taking our lunch in a restaurant, we continued to walk to down from the stream to a bigger river. There, Mr Tree showed me some beautiful fishes that I never seen before.

Then, Mr Tree trying to find the location where he found _Cryptocoryne crispatula _var. _crispatula_ about 2 years ago.....but he couldn't find it. It was getting late, we got another half an hour to search the Crypt before we called a day off.

I was busying photographing the insects in the bushes & suddenly Mr Tree shouted "_Cryptocoryne_" very very loud... (in Mandarin language) I jumped up and quickly ran towards the bushes. I saw a beautiful stream behind the bushes.....and unbelievable.....I saw _Cryptocoryne crispatula _var. _crispatula_ for the first time in my life!!!! At that moment, I forgot all my problems back home....& all of us screaming & jumping in the stream like a group of crazy people....Ha!ha!ha!

Collecting loaches & gobies in a river near a restaurant:










In the late afternoon, we're trying to find the habitat of _Cryptocoryne crispatula_ var._ crispatula _ ....there's a stream behind the bushes. Mr Tree turned left to check it out....










And, he found _Cryptocoryne crispatula_ var._ crispatula _ in a new spot!










What a beautiful aquatic aroid!










The beautiful leaves (submerged in the water):


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## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

The habitat (fast flowing stream):










Submerged condition:










The rotten spathe (flower):










Beautiful Crypt.!!! (all in submerged condition)










Other photos.....

grasses:










Cute puppy:



















.....to be continued.


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## andrew__ (May 18, 2007)

wow, that's a nice looking crypt  great pictures


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## Yoong (Nov 26, 2007)

nice crypt and very nice pictures.


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## Khamul1of9 (Oct 25, 2005)

Very exciting!!!


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## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

Thanks to everyone for viewing my photos.


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## orlando (Feb 14, 2007)

Great photos! Looks very nice there


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## corymad (Apr 14, 2008)

Hi Michael, 
Nice to see you here. Found only one spathe? Is the flowering season over? Thanks for sharing.

best regards, 

Alan Goh

PS: hope your emotional problem cleared up at home!


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## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

orlando said:


> Great photos! Looks very nice there


Thanks.


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## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

corymad said:


> Hi Michael,
> Nice to see you here. Found only one spathe? Is the flowering season over? Thanks for sharing.
> 
> best regards,
> ...


No, still got some more....still haven't post all my photos.


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## corymad (Apr 14, 2008)

then what are you waiting for mate!? haha


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## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

corymad said:


> then what are you waiting for mate!? haha


I got others photos to "process" which are not related to Crypt. Pls wait.


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## crypts (Jan 4, 2008)

Nice trip! Awaiting for more pixs....


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## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

beautiful pics love it thanks for sharing


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## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

On the third day:

Around 3pm, Zhou Hang found the fish which I'm looking for ......BLACK PARADISE FISH (_Macropodus hongkongensis_)!!!!

The spot where Mr Tree caught the fish.










_Macropodus hongkongensis_. This fish is named after Hong Kong.










We walked further down the stream & we found the BIGGEST population of _Cryptocoryne crispatula _var. _crispatula _ (another location)!!!










Mr Tree is photographing the spathe (flower) of _Cryptocoryne crispatula _var. _crispatula _ (above the water surface).


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## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

The spathe (above the water surface)










The leaves....










We also found the Crypt in emersed condition.










The Chinese temple


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

junglemike said:


> I was busying photographing the insects in the bushes & suddenly Mr Tree shouted "_Cryptocoryne_" very very loud... (in Mandarin language) I jumped up and quickly ran towards the bushes.


Great photos and article, I'm jealous again, but I was wondering what "_Cryptocoryne_" sounds like in Mandarin.


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## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

SCMurphy said:


> Great photos and article, I'm jealous again, but I was wondering what "_Cryptocoryne_" sounds like in Mandarin.


It sounds like this..... "Su Jai"


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## corymad (Apr 14, 2008)

fantastic shots Mike! M. hongkongensis! I'm jealous too! 

Curious but are there any spathes found on those in emerse conditions? 

From your observation, do you think the patch you'd saw have been growing emerse for sometime already or do you think the water around there had just receded recently before your visit?


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## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

corymad said:


> fantastic shots Mike! M. hongkongensis! I'm jealous too!
> 
> Curious but are there any spathes found on those in emerse conditions?
> 
> From your observation, do you think the patch you'd saw have been growing emerse for sometime already or do you think the water around there had just receded recently before your visit?


All spathes are in emerse condition (except the rotten one).

It's growing there for sometimes already. I can see the leaves are smaller & narrower than those in submerged condition. But of course, water level can go up & down anytime.


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## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

Hi folks;
I just happened to be reading Jacobsens paper on the crispulata complex. He's the guy that put balansae, tonkinensis and the others as subspecies, or rather, varieties of _crisptulata_.

If I read the key to the crispulata subspecies right, these things cant be var crispulata.

http://crypts.aquaria.net/Cryptocoryne/Botanical/Documents/Jacobsen/1991/chapters/crispulata-key/

The only way you can get to var. CRI is if the first line of the key is false, and its not here. Interestingly the flowers dont enter into it here. Just the leaves. They're all crispulata. The flower pictured here coresponds well to the flower in Jacobsen (1991) shown as balansae.

The way I read it, the plant is either var balansae or var sinensis although the latter has a range more north in China.

Heres BAL and CRI from Jacobsen:










Here's the caption:
"Fig. 18 (upper left). C. crispatula from Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary (left to right):
1. Two submerged plants of var. balansae; 
2. Submerged plant intermediate between var. balansae var. crispatula; 
3. Half submerged var. crispatula; 
4. Emerged, shaded var. crispatula; 
5. Emerged, sun exposed var. crispatula"

Heres the BAL flower from Jacobsen (1991).










WHat do you guys think?


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