# difference between Crypt Lucens, Willisi, Nevillii?



## Indignation (Mar 9, 2008)

Hello, was wondering if the local Crypt experts could help me understand something. What exactly is the difference between Lucens, Willisi, and Nevillii? I'm interested in submersed growth only, no plans to grow emersed. I thought Willisi and Nevillii were the same thing, but noticed this store selling both.

Thanks for any insight.


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## maknwar (Feb 28, 2008)

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plant-id/60818-crypt-parva-vs-crypt-x-willisii.html


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## Indignation (Mar 9, 2008)

thanks for the link maknwar, but my original query still stands. 
according to that thread, nevillii (or what is known to aquarists as nevillii) is the same as willisi. So is the vendor mistaken, and actually selling the same plant under two different names?


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## nfrank (Jan 29, 2005)

Some vendors and their plant growers are slow to change names. So, it is quite possible that the vendor gets his plants from different sources.... one using the name new name -- x willissi, or the older name -- nevilli . It is quite unlikely that he is not selling the so-called true nevilli.

To make the nomenclatural story more complicated, the plant currently called Cryptocoryne undulata used to be called C. willissi !! Further, there are two genetic versions of C. undulata -- a diploid version (2 sets of chromosomes) and a triploid one. Robert Gasser, the famous crypt grower from Florida and the author of the great plant series in the 1978-79 issues of FAMA, sold both undulata's using the old names. Perhaps for marketing purposes, he sold the triploid undulata as "Giant Willissi." We talked about his plant naming, and he told me that he didnt want to confuse his customers (< 10 retail outlets, one of which was THAT FISH PLACE) with new names for the same plants. He did not want to complicate matters for the stores or their retail customers with labeling such as Cryptocoyne undulata, triploid (aka "Giant Willissi"), or C. x willissi (aka C. nevilli). 

The same issues occurs with fishes. A local pet shop in Raleigh had a tank of livebearers labeled "platies", $2.99. I spoke to the manager to tell him that he had a relatively rare fish called _*Limia perugae*_ and he had it under priced. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perugia's_limia. I knew the fish because i had been keeping it for years. The manager said: "I know, but no one was buying it using the unfamiliar Latin name so they changed to a more familiar common name and the pretty fish started to sell." It does resemble platies, but is MUCH nicer. It turned out that a local aquarist who got the fish from me was breeding them like crazy and flooding the market.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

It's no wonder we don't know what we're talking about half the time!


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