# Cryptocoryne crispatula var. tonkinensis



## BruceF

Saw this plant in this journal this morning. Is anybody growing it here in the states? 
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/my-120p.37844/page-2

Jacobsen et al
http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.3372/wi.45.45203


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## miremonster

Hello BruceF,
I don't know if the very narrow-leaved plant in the UKAPS link is cultivated in the U.S., it's at least available as potted and in-vitro plant with the label C. tonkinensis in Europe.

But by this way I want to call attention to the Jacobsen & al. paper in your second link:

1) It has turned out that the very narrow-leaved plant (also shown in the UKAPS forum) that's currently called C. tonkinensis or C. crispatula var. tonkinensis, is NOT tonkinensis in the original sense. It comes from eastern Thailand, Khao Yai and Ubon Ratchathani. It is a taxon of its own, not yet formally named.

2) The type specimen of tonkinensis was found in North Vietnam (Tonkin), and corresponding plants occur also in southeastern China. The leaves of this true tonkinensis are much more similar to C. crispatula var. flaccidifolia (originally from southern Thailand), broader than those of the very narrow-leaved eastern Thailand plant. This requires re-definition of var. flaccidifolia.

I don't know to what extent the true (broader-leaved) C. crispatula var. tonkinensis is cultivated as aquarium plant. The name C. tonkinensis is long known in the hobby, and old pictures show a var. flaccidifolia-like plant - maybe true tonkinensis. Flaccidifolia-like plants are often still labeled "C. retrospiralis" (erroneous, true retrospiralis comes from India), and maybe also original tonkinensis is among them.

The name changes will surely cause a lot of confusion in the hobby...


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## second

Nice looking tank shot


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## miremonster

I agree, the tank looks beautiful, this very narrow-leaved east Thailand "tonkinensis" seems to have great potential for aquascaping. But there are only few examples, and seemingly it isn't a very easy plant. When I've planted it in a quite neglected "low tech" nano tank, it died. Reports of long-time experiences with that (yet to be renamed) crypt would be interesting.


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## BruceF

Yeah but your not in the states! 


I have a bit of the 'retrospiralis' maybe I should grow that one out. I wonder what the water is like in Northern Vietnam? I'll have to look that up.


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## miremonster

North Vietnam and South China: hard water, limestone, according to the descriptions from Bastmeijer, Jacobsen and others. As well as the habitats of var. balansae.

But the habitats of the very narrow-leaved east Thailand "tonkinensis" that's shown in the tank photo: I don't know.


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## JSeymour

Not sure if you're still looking, but Jayco on Amazon has T/C tonkinensis for $9.99.


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## miremonster

As I've written in another thread, the extremely narrow-leaved "tonkinensis" from East Thailand has been described as a new variety in the meanwhile, Cryptocoryne crispatula var. *kubotae*.
Surely traded "Cryptocoryne tonkinensis" is this var. kubotae and not true var. tonkinensis in most cases, we'll see if the correct name will spread in the hobby and trade.


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## BruceF

JSeymour said:


> Not sure if you're still looking, but Jayco on Amazon has T/C tonkinensis for $9.99.


I did get some the other day at my local fish store. If I get it to grow I'll post some pictures in a few months.


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## JSeymour

Mire, thanks for the info. Somehow I missed your earlier post describing the taxonomy issues with this variety. As frustrating as all these name changes and discoveries are, it's part of what draws me to the genus, it just makes them that much more interesting. Hopefully, the hobby will catch on.

Bruce, do you know which one you got?


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## BruceF

It was labeled as C. tonkinensis that's all I know.


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## BruceF

Okay so over the weekend at the local club auction I got some of the Cryptocoryne crispatula var. kubotae. This stuff looks more like grass than a crypt. A friend of mine told me he got it at petsmart a while back.


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## Johnson18

I saw some the other day at Arizona Nature Aquatics. IDK if it is correctly labeled but it looks correct.


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## Grubs

Wondering how you guys are finding the C. crispatula var. kubotae?

The variety that we have in Australia seems quite robust in emersed culture but is hard to maintain submersed (mine just got smaller and withered away over months). I had them in pots so I pulled the last one out before it died and it recovered nicely in my emersed collection.


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## Aenndry

Hello. I just started keeping crypts (and some other aquatic plants) emersed. I ordered a bunch of TC plants from Aquarium Plants . com and one of the plants ordered was c var. Tonkinensis. After reading this thread I am now worried/confused about what I have. It has very thin grass like leaves at the moment (still quite small). Does anyone have any experience with their plants and would know the correct identification of their plant?
Thank you.


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