# Visit the Cryptocoryne habitats in Peninsular Malaysia



## junglemike

July 15, 2010. I was tired of the office job, so I bought a cheap airticket and flew to KL city of Peninsular Malaysia. The following day, 2 of my friends brought me to visit some habitats of Cryptocoryne in Pahang state of Malaysia.

Peninsular Malaysia.....heaven on earth!!!



















About 9am, we stopped our car next to a jungle stream. We saw Crypt. cordata var. cordata in the stream:



















This species is common in Peninsular Malaysia.










The substrate is sand, clay & silt.


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## bosmahe1

Very nice, beautiful. Thanks for sharing.


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## doubleott05

clay is very rich in minerals and ferts


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## junglemike

Thanks for viewing....


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## junglemike

After that, we went to explore a very large area of southern Pahang.....most of the places already become oil palm plantation. We found nothing for almost the whole day!

A beautiful river but no Crypt.



















Then, we went to a peat swamp not far from the beach. No Crypt. there but found some interesting fish in the dried up swamp.


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## junglemike

The fish population here is too low. Only caught a few _Betta tussyae_ & forest walking catfish (_Clarias _sp.) ....










And land crab....










And beautiful lizard from the coast....










Later, my friends brought me to a swampy forest where they found Crypt. nurii. When we're there, they shocked to see the logging company is starting to clear the lowland forest in this area.....


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## junglemike

_Crypt. nurii_ here is a swamp type. The leaf looks a bit like _Crypt. cordata_.....different from _Crypt nurii_ found in the streams & rivers.























































TO BE CONTINUED....


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## junglemike

The following day, my another group of friends brought me to explore a secret garden near central part of Peninsular Malaysia. The scenery there is breathtaking, like a paradise on earth.










There is no _Crypt_. found in this river.




























A dead fish.


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## junglemike

On the way back, I asked my friends to stop at a picnic spot near KL city. According to some info, there is a patch of _Crypt. affinis _growing on the top of a waterfall. I never found Cryptocoryne grows in the waterfall area, so I must try to find it before dark.










There are a few waterfalls & cascades in that area....










I failed to find it in the upper part of the river because it's getting dark. Before going back, I saw something on the rock next to a pool......and it's _Crypt affinis_!!










Wow! First time in my life seeing the Cryptocoryne on the top of waterfall!!! I was pretty excited to see it there!




























The pool next to a cascade.....where I found Crypt. affinis. There are more plants growing under the water but I didn't have time to photohgraph them....










....TO BE CONTINUED.


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## ddavila06

awesome!


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## ferchu22

What a beautiful place!! Thanks for sharing...


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## junglemike

ferchu22 said:


> What a beautiful place!! Thanks for sharing...


Welcome...


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## junglemike

ddavila06 said:


> awesome!


Thanks.


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## junglemike

On the last day in KL, before going to airport, I asked my another 2 friends to bring me to re-visit a habitat of _Crypt. minima_. When we reached there, my friends were shocked to see the undisturbed lowland forest so near to concrete city (KL).

The pool.



















_Crypt. minima_ growing in the shallow part of the pool:


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## junglemike

There is a jungle stream next to the pool which is under the deep shade of forest canopy, the Crypt. is much smaller compared to those growing in the pool, under indirect or direct sunlight.



















_Barclaya motleyi_ is growing abundantly here.










I'll continue this thread when I return to Peninsular Malaysia in November.


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## Seattle_Aquarist

Hi Mike,

I always enjoy your contributions! You do a great job showing the native enviornment of the crypts.


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## Zezmo

Thanks for sharing. Great pics, and a nice narrative.

Are all those "bare" streams due to palm oil plantations?


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## FarCanal

junglemike said:


> I'll continue this thread when I return to Peninsular Malaysia in November.


Please do, I never get tired of your threads. You make me want to visit all these places myself.


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## junglemike

Thanks everyone.

That bare or opened pool is caused by the stream is being blocked by a new road to a new graveyard. The water rose to a few feet high and killed the trees/ plants growing near the stream (now is a pond). Only Crypt & barclaya growing well there after the water risen.


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## junglemike

End of October 2010, I returned to Peninsular Malaysia....this was the worst trip I ever had. A lot of habitats of _Cryptocoryne_ are either destroyed or degraded.

The habitat (swamp) of a rare variety of _Crypt. nurii_ is gone. They are now clearing the forest for oil palm:




























_Crypt. schulzei_ in other habitat:





































.... to be continued.


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## ferchu22

Thanks for the pics, Mike!
Nice schulzei but it's very sad to hear that about nurii's habitat, we hope some of the guys out there do have some plants of this variety, so it won't disappear.

Regards


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## totziens

Development is always the killer of the natural environment. When will human ever learn to overcome their greed?


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## Dave-H

Wow! How did you find these areas? I have a place about 900 km north of there in Thailand. It's a tropical savannah environment with freshwater pools all over the place. I wonder if there are some interesting plants/life to see around there. Unfortunately I'm not expert enough to know, but I'm bringing my camera this year and will go hunting for flora and fauna.


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## WeedCali

WOW! i love your threads! its so awesome getting to see them in their natural habitat! i would love go go exploring malaysia or some other rainforest type place one day.

really sad to see all the Crypt habitats being destroyed. someone should go to area that will be deforested and take a whole bunch of the crypts to save them.


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## vancat

thank you! enjoyed your pictures & narrative.


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## junglemike

Thankyou everyone for viewing my pictures. Just came back from northern Peninsular Malaysia few days ago.

Here, I want to show you the beautiful Crypt. from northern Peninsular Malaysia: _Crypt. cordata_ var. _cordata_ "siamensis":

The spathe is glossy, narrow & dark golden colored:










It is growing in under the big tree in a sandy river. Without the tree roots, the Crypt. will be swept away by fast & strong current:




























....to be continued.


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## totziens

Interesting! I thought I saw granites at the river bank. They turn out to be Crypts.


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## junglemike

totziens said:


> Interesting! I thought I saw granites at the river bank. They turn out to be Crypts.


Thanks for viewing....


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## Cvurb

Sweet Crypt, you are truly a outdoors man! Thats so cool how the leaves have the silt from river on them. Just amazing! Great Photos too!


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## junglemike

Cvurb said:


> Sweet Crypt, you are truly a outdoors man! Thats so cool how the leaves have the silt from river on them. Just amazing! Great Photos too!


Yup...I'm crazy for the jungle in my country.


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## maestro

What an awesome adventure to be able to venture and explore in your own "backyard", and discover all these wonderful Crypts. It's sad to hear that many of the Crypts habitats are being cleared and destroyed... Great job on the photography, excellent pictures!


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## junglemike

maestro said:


> What an awesome adventure to be able to venture and explore in your own "backyard", and discover all these wonderful Crypts. It's sad to hear that many of the Crypts habitats are being cleared and destroyed... Great job on the photography, excellent pictures!


Thanks for viewing. Yup....it's hard to find those Crypt. now cos most of their habitats are gone....


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## junglemike

Thanks to my friends for bringing me to some secret locations of Cryptocoryne in West Malaysia last weekend. First location is the rare _Crypt_. X_purpurea_ (natural hybrid species):










Some leaves are brownish:










Some, green colored:



















And 1 got yellow lined leaves:


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## junglemike

The habitat in the swamp:




























Not far away, another location of the same species is destroyed cos of some people cleared the swamp. The Crypt. is still can survive even it is under the direct sunlight cos the soil is wet:










This Crypt. is very hardy! Can grow well in hot & dry condition (wet soil):


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## junglemike

_Crypt. cordata _from Melaka:



















Submerged plants:










Seed pod:










Emersed plants;










Habitat:


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## wabisabi

Awesome! Thank you for sharing these beautiful pics.


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## WeedCali

I love it!

Keep em coming!


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## ferchu22

Nic places, pics and plants! Thanks for sharing!
Regards,


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