# Take A Look At My 20 Year Old Red Crypt Mother Plant



## fishmaster#1 (Apr 10, 2005)

THIS PLANT IS HUGE 25 INCHES HIGH. 7 INCHES WIDE.I HAVE GOTTEN ALOT OF RUNNERS AND FLOWERS OVER THE YEARS. FROM WHAT I KNOW I AM THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PLANT. CAN ANYONE IDENTIFY THIS? WHAT DO YOU FOLKS HERE THINK OF THIS PLANT? AT ONE TIME I HAD A 55 PACKED FULL OF THIS PLANT, BUT THEN I HAD A BIG MELT. ONLY TWO PLANTS LIVED. I NOW HAVE ABOUT 24 OF THESE PLANTS THANKS TO TIME AND PATIENCE. I WILL BE NEEDING NAME AS I DO NOT WANT TO CALL IT BY THE WRONG NAME. AT ONE TIME A PLANT NUT SAYED IT WAS AFFINIS BUT HE WAS NOT SURE. ANYTHING YOU CRYPT NUTS CAN TELL ME WOULD BE NICE. CAN I GROW THIS IN A 2 LITER BOTTLE? THE SMALL ONES ANYWAY. I AM NOT GOING TO MESS WITH MY BIG ONE IT'S FLOWERING UNDERWATER :smile:


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## lorba (Feb 4, 2004)

They look like wendtii brown to me.


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## fishmaster#1 (Apr 10, 2005)

I Know For Sure That It Is Not I Have Some In The Same Tank It Looks Totally Different. Thanks For Trying Any Other Ideas


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

I don't know what your plant is, but *Please* try to type in a normal manner. Your language, grammer and puncuation are the only way we have to judge you; they are your face on the internet!


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Your plant may be the red wendtii. It is hard to tell if it is different from the picture you have of the supposed brown wendtii. Could you get a better picture? Also, it would be nice to see a picture of it blooming underwater.


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## fishmaster#1 (Apr 10, 2005)

*my flower*

Sorry about typing funny I did not have eyes in. Well here is the flower.
I hope I have more then one person tell me it is plant-x, so i know for sure.
Anyone think these can grow out of water? I never tryed. If so how about a plan for doing it. Anyone want a runner?


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

Our friend and foremost Cryptocoryne expert, Jan Bastmeijer, suggested the following:



> Best guess is C. affinis. Deep green upperside and winered lowerside of the
> leaves. I don't see the normally pale veines on the upperside of the leaf.
> The spathe is immature as far as I can see. Ask him to compare his plant
> with the submersed affinis on the Crypts pages.
> ...


 Hope it helps.


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## Aaron (Feb 12, 2004)

I can't believe I am saying this Art, but I think Jan is wrong on this one. The plant in question looks like a Sri Lankan Crypt, wendtii or something. The leaves are too narrow, there is no distinguished ribbing, and are not bullate. (if it were the "classic" hartelliana, the tops would be a darker, more bluish green) The petioles are thick and pink, where if I recall affinis has brown colored petioles and is a looks more thin and delicate. I have kept the "classic" and "pseudo bullosa" types of affinis for a while, BUT I no longer have either so I can not put up pictures to compare.


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## fishmaster#1 (Apr 10, 2005)

Thanks for all replys. OK it can grow emersed. Now how do i do it? I have never tryed as it has been in fish tank 20 years. Anyone want one? If so pm me. I know one thing for sure this must be a very rare plant since no one knows exactly what it is. C. AFFINIS??? I do know it is one touch plant :smile:


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## turbomkt (Mar 31, 2004)

Just because no one can give a 100% ID based on your picture does not make it rare  Sorry.


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## lorba (Feb 4, 2004)

You asked for opinion and the plant did looked like wendtii to me. Perhaps you can provide a clearer picture of the entire plant or a closer up of the leaf?

The color and veins should tell a thing or two.


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## Aaron (Feb 12, 2004)

I found a pic of my affinis and posted it in a thread all it's own. As you can see, theses plants are not the same. The other thing I just thought of is that affinis has a propensity to send out runners that can be travel very far from the "mother plant". Under good conditions, one can achieve a "lawn" with it. I've been in correspondence with a fellow from England who is growing C. affinis and the last pics he sent me showed his tank well on it's way to having an affinis lawn.
If you had this plant for 20 years and it remained in a clump, you are probably looking at something other than affinis. What you got there is pretty nice though. I'd suggest you just call it C. sp or unknown/ mystery crypt or something until you are positively sure what it is. Attaching a mis informed name to a plant or animal or anything for that matter isn't prudent.


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## fishmaster#1 (Apr 10, 2005)

you are right I may never know what kind of plant this is. I does send runners all over the place tho. I put it in a pot to control its growth. maybe that was not such a good idea.


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

If you are going to be selling this plant for so much (not saying it is justified or not) then you should be quite sure on what you are selling. A way to strongly increase your IDing is to flower the crypt.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

The only way to scientifically identify a Cryp is by the flower spathe, and by a clear picture of a mature spathe. Jan IS the expert, but is making a guess based on general characteristics. Wendtii, affinis, lucens, lutea and others can all look very much alike and can morph into different leaf shapes and colors. The flower is the only unique aspect of a specie and is how the plants are classified. When people do not have the qualifications to make an accurate identification, (I know I do not) they reley on the identification by the original grower or source. I have often wondered how reliable an identification by these guys from Singapore on Aquabid are when selling these "rare" Cryps for $45, $50, or $100. Where are they originating from? Who is properly indentifying them? I have been tempted to buy some bullosa or some of these others on Aquabid, but no way am I going to spend that kind of money without some guarantee they are truly identified. I remember a few years ago someone was selling bullosa on Ebay that turned out to be affinis.


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## lorba (Feb 4, 2004)

Hi Robert, that sounds like me.

The crypts are actually identified by their flowers, with pictures of the flower and their locality, if that may serve as proof. Compared against the crypts page. Some crypt flowers are distinctive, such as yujii.

Flowers will probably stay intact when they arrive but will soon melt away in cultivation. Perhaps a flower picture of the (just arrived) plant on sale will be provided, if it comes along.


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## fishmaster#1 (Apr 10, 2005)

I have had this plant for years. It is NOT a new arrival. I posted a flower pic already. 

Flowers will probably stay intact when they arrive but will soon melt away in cultivation. Perhaps a flower picture of the (just arrived) plant on sale will be provided, if it comes along.


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## opiesilver (Dec 30, 2004)

You could always have the state college do DNA/RNA testing for a positive ID on the plant. I've got a friend at USC that will sometimes do this for me. It can be a very expensive process when you can't get it done for free.


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