# Aquatic & semi-aquatic plants of Borneo



## junglemike

Hi all,

I would like to share some of my pictures taken in the jungle streams & rivers of my homeland - Borneo.

First, I want to show you the semi-aquatic aroid of Borneo. This one below is _Aridarum caulescens_ var. _angustifolium_:




























_Aridarum nicolsonii_


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## junglemike

*re: Aquatic & semi-aquatic plants of Borneo*

_Bucephalandra motleyana_ from the hill streams of lowland forest.





































The habitat of semi aquatic aroids:


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## junglemike

*re: Aquatic & semi-aquatic plants of Borneo*

_Bucephalandra motleyana_ from the mountain streams of highland forest. (above 3,000 feet from sea level)





































_Piptospatha_ sp.










......to be continued.


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## junglemike

*re: Aquatic & semi-aquatic plants of Borneo*

_Piptospatha grabowskii_



















_Aridarum nicolsonii_ in clearwater stream


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## Seattle_Aquarist

*re: Aquatic & semi-aquatic plants of Borneo*

Hi Mike,

Your photography skills continue to evolve and improve! I absolutely enjoy the detail shots because they provide insight and clues as to how the plants live in their natural environment. However, some of these photos are almost like artwork!


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## junglemike

*re: Aquatic & semi-aquatic plants of Borneo*



Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi Mike,
> 
> Your photography skills continue to evolve and improve! I absolutely enjoy the detail shots because they provide insight and clues as to how the plants live in their natural environment. However, some of these photos are almost like artwork!


Thanks Roy.


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## junglemike

*re: Aquatic & semi-aquatic plants of Borneo*

_Schismatoglottis multiflora_










Habitat




























Inflorescence





































..... to be continued.


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## junglemike

*re: Aquatic & semi-aquatic plants of Borneo*

_Homalomena paucinervia_ (endemic to sothern Sarawak)










_Aglaonema griffithii_



















The habitat of _A. griffithii_ (brackish water riverbank):










_Hanguana malayana_










....to be continued.


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## Cavan Allen

Well done, as always. Thank you Michael.


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## WeedCali

Wow i love your photos! id like the visit the Borneo area sometime. keep up the great work!


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## JustLikeAPill

I wish Buchephelandra was avalailable in the U.S.


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## totziens

Thanks for sharing, Mike. Even though we live in the same country, I have no access to what you have in Borneo.


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## junglemike

Thanks everyone. I'm going to travel around my country soon....will post more pictures after coming back.


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## totziens

Have a safe journey. Will be waiting for your photos


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## SuperWen

these are my friend's submerged bucephalandra:


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## junglemike

totziens said:


> Have a safe journey. Will be waiting for your photos


Thanks...I just remembered that I still got some old pictures to upload....


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## junglemike

SuperWen said:


> these are my friend's submerged bucephalandra:


Nice Bicep.


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## junglemike

Some pictures taken at a river near Sarawak-Kalimantan border, 2 months ago:



















Got a few clump of hairgrasses in the river:


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## junglemike

_Hygrophila_ also growing here:



















Got freshwater pipefish & pufferfish hiding here:




























I think this one is _Barclaya kunstleri_...found it in a stream next to that big river:


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## junglemike

Found _Bucephalandra motleyana_ in a waterfall near the border....the margin of the leaf is undulated!














































.....to be continued.


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## rjfurbank

Excellent pic's as always -- thanks for sharing your adventures w/ us!


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## totziens

I didn't even know those plants exist in the wild in our country...especially hairgrass :-s


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## jczz1232

Wow thanks for the photos


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## junglemike

Thanks everyone for viewing. Just came back from jungle & found a lot of interesting semi aquatic & aquatic plants yesterday & today. Will post some pictures before I leave my home for the coming adventure 2 days later.


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## junglemike

Finally found _Aridarum borneense_...which is endemic to some mountain streams of western Sarawak. Do you notice that the leaf arrangement is just like a fan?




























The rotten flower (going to bear the fruits):










The habitat: waterfall


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## junglemike

This creeper is another type of aroid growing by the stream, _Rhaphidophora beccarii_:



















Semi aquatic fern,_Trichomanes javanicum_:



















The habitat of semi aquatic aroids & ferns:


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## junglemike

Next location is another paradise on earth....that place got a lot of waterfalls & cascades.....it's the home for _Aridarum nicolsonii_:



















_Aridarum nicolsonii_, also endemic to western Sarawak:


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## junglemike

I was shocked to find something interesting growing together with _Aridarum nicolsonii_....it is a species of _Homalomena_. Later, I was told by a researcher (aroid expert) that it is a new species!!!

_Homalomena_ sp. It is related to _H. paucinerivia_ in other mountain streams.





































This is another species of Homalomena....this type is not semi aquatic aroid even it is growing near a stream. Take note the shape of leaf is different from those semi aquatic aroids which got streamlined leaves, growing very closed to the stream. This one is newly described species called _Homalomena velutipedunculata_ :


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## junglemike

Sometimes in the upper part of fast flowing forest stream is almost flat & water is flowing slow there. In this habitat, I found _Barclaya kunstleri_. Unlike it's related species _Barclaya motleyi_ (mostly found in the swamp), this _Barclaya_ is growing in higer altitude or near the head water....





































....to be continued.


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## FarCanal

Brilliant photo's and a great read, truly "a paradise". Keep them coming Mike


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## totziens

Is the new species going to be named Homalomena junglemike or Homalomena Michaello??


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## junglemike

FarCanal said:


> Brilliant photo's and a great read, truly "a paradise". Keep them coming Mike


Thanks. I just came back from Peninsular Malaysia 3 days ago....will post more pictures soon....


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## junglemike

totziens said:


> Is the new species going to be named Homalomena junglemike or Homalomena Michaello??


Ha!ha! No....it was found by some plant researchers not long ago but they haven't describe it yet.


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## junglemike

I was so excited to find this new semi aquatic aroid called _Hottarum sarikeense_ for the first time in the jungle stream of central Sarawak. (November trip)


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## junglemike

Some of the _Piptospatha grabowskii _ in central Sarawak got variegated leaves:










Submerged in the water:










Grow together with _Cryptocoryne bullosa_ (left):


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## NefTaLo

junglemike said:


> Thanks Roy.


excellent photo, thx


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## junglemike

Last week I was visiting a river about 1 hour drive from my home:



















Found another new species of _Homalomena_. It is already discovered by researcher but yet undescribed so far as Borneo got too many new & undescribed semi aquatic aroids waiting to be given a name by reseacher.



















A moss


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## junglemike

Recently visited the habitats of 2 species of Aridarum which can be found near my home. This 2 species are found in the sandstone mountain streams but they do not occur in the same mountain.

Aridarum borneense is named after my homeland: Borneo










It is found in upper part of a stream....either near a waterfall or above the waterfall:










Habitat:




























..... to be continued.


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## junglemike

Last weekend, I wanted to find _Aridarum montanum_. It is very rare species and should be growing in the mountain stream above 1,000 feet (altitude).

So, I hiked along a small river from 200 feet to 1,200 feet. All of them are _Aridarum nicolsonii_. There was no sight of _A. montanum_.



















_Aridarum nicolsonii_:



















At 1,300 feet, I had to stop exploring cos I couldn't climb up a high cliff & very tall waterfall. The scenery there is spectacular!! I shall be back to find _Aridarum montanum_ using different trail.


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## junglemike

Two more shots of that secret garden:



















2 weeks before, I went to another blackwater river to look for something else.....



















_Barclaya motleyi_ (closely related to water lily):



















_Homalomena_ sp.


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## junglemike

Unidentified species of mosses:










_Utricularia_ sp. (aquatic carnivorous plant):










Semi aquatic fern,_Trichomanes javanicum_:










Unidentified species of semi aquatic fern:


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## junglemike

Dec 18, 2010. I almost got "heart attack" when I found the most beautiful semi aquatic aroid (_Bucephalandra motleyana_) in Sarawak today. The leaf is almost grey colored & got white lines on the leaf surface!!! This is the rarest variant that I ever found in my lifetime!


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## junglemike

The habitat:










Left is _Ooia grabowskii_ (Scientists just replaced the old genus name from _Piptospatha_ to _Ooia_) and right is _Bucephalandra_.


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## matt12

I NEED that unidentified mos !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## HeyPK

That unidentified moss may be a liverwort.


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## junglemike

I think it is liverwort too...but I don't have any reference books for mosses or liverwort, so no idea what it is.....


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## junglemike

_Piptospatha grabowskii_ is now changed/replaced to _Ooia grabowskii_. This new genus name is named after an aroid student called Ooi Im Hin who has contributed a lot of data related to pollination biology of this tribe.


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## totziens

Since you have been spending so much effort in the jungle, you should find a species to name it Lo grabowskii or Crytocoryne Lo too


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## junglemike

totziens said:


> Since you have been spending so much effort in the jungle, you should find a species to name it Lo grabowskii or Crytocoryne Lo too


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## junglemike

First time I found the semi aquatic aroid in the mountain streams of Mt. Kinabalu : Ooia Kinabaluensis.....





































The habitat:










The misty montane forest of Mt. Kinabalu. I never thought this aroid can grow so high in the mountain....


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## junglemike

The beautiful Mount Kinabalu:



















I will go back to northern Borneo again next month (March 2011).....hope can find more interesting aroids.


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## junglemike

Back to southern Sarawak....just found another beautiful river which got a lot of _Ooia grabowskii_ last weekend (Feb 2011):



















Habitat:


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## junglemike

Another nice river not far away from the one above....










Waterfall...










Found the giant sized _Bucephalandra motleyana_!!!


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## junglemike

A beautiful blackwater waterfall in Borneo:




























Blackwater river:










Plants growing near the river:










_Homalomena_ sp.


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## junglemike

Found a species of semi aquatic fern that I never seen before!!!




























_Aridarum nicolsonii
_


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## junglemike

April 2011. First time I found another species of Aridarum in a blackwater mountain stream of Sarawak. It is _Aridarum crassum_.

The habitat:



















_Aridarum crassum_.


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## junglemike

Another type of aroid which looks like Aridarum is found in higher ground near the stream. It is _Homalomena lancea _.










The habitat:


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## miremonster

Awesome...


> Found the giant sized Bucephalandra motleyana!!!


Could it be Bucephalandra gigantea? However this species is known only from E. Kalimantan, Kiau River: http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/72772/Tel9Bog179.pdf


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## junglemike

miremonster said:


> Awesome...
> 
> Could it be Bucephalandra gigantea? However this species is known only from E. Kalimantan, Kiau River: http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/72772/Tel9Bog179.pdf


No, I don't think so....


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## junglemike

_Aridarum crassum_ (left) & _Homalomena lancea_ (right):










_Homalomena lancea_










Also, I found _Bucephalandra motleyana_ which the leaves got "stripes"!!!


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## junglemike

Not all the plants got stripes....most of them are dark green or olive green. First time in my life found _Bucephalandra_ which got stripes! So rare!!!



















Habitat:










Mosses & _Bucephalandra motleyana_:


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## junglemike

Mosses


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## junglemike

Another type of _Bucephalandra motleyana_. First time found it in blackwater stream!!!


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## junglemike

More pictures of _Bucephalandra motleyana_ "Seri Aman"




























In another river, clearwater river.....there is no _Bucephalandra_ at all. The rocks & boulders there are granite. I found out _Bucephalandra_ likes to grow on sandstones and mudstones.


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## junglemike

Here at granite boulders near river, I found _Piptospatha elongata_.










Inflorescence:



















Another species of semi aquatic aroid also growing here. It is a new species of _Homalomena_:


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## junglemike

A river in the jungle of northern Borneo:










Found another new species again! A new species of _Aridarum_. The leaf looks a bit like _Bucephalandra_!


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## junglemike

Also, first time found an orchid growing so near to the flooded zone of the jungle stream!!! A semi aquatic orchid? Wow!



















Orchids are growing together with Aridarum!!!










Inflorescence of orchid:


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## junglemike

In another blackwater stream of Borneo, I found a shrub which related to Melastoma. This species is growing on the flood zone of forest stream. It is called _Phyllagathis steenisii_.


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## junglemike

Another new species of semi aquatic aroid which I never seen before. It is the smallest _Piptospatha _species that I ever found. Almost as big as _Bucephalandra_!










Submerged in blackwater:


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## junglemike

2 more shots to share:


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## junglemike

Travelling to too many places lately & finally I got some free times to share my photos taken for the past 2 months....

First batch of photo is a species of Aridarum found in western Sarawak which is most likely is a new species:




























Young plant looks a bit like Bucephalandra:


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## junglemike

The habitat:


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## Tex Gal

Just gorgeous! So love you sharing your trip with us. The places and plants are beautiful.


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## junglemike

Tex Gal said:


> Just gorgeous! So love you sharing your trip with us. The places and plants are beautiful.


Thanks Tex Gal.


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## junglemike

_Bakoa luscens_














































Black _Crypt. bullosa_










The "real" _Aridarum caulescens_ (The small leaf _A. caulescens_ that I found before, later confirmed by researcher as new & undescribed species)


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## junglemike

_A. caulescens_



















Finally, I found the rare _Schismatoglottis jelandii_....I was looking for it for so long!



















_Schismatoglottis jelandii_










Also, found _Schottariella mirifica_ for the very first time....in a new location:



















_Schismatoglottis wallichii_....grows near riverbank:


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## junglemike

_Ooia grabowskii _"variegated leaf"



















_Hottarum sarikeense_ in new location:










_Bucephalandra motleyana _from Bintulu:










_Bucephalandra motleyana_:



















....to be continued.


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## junglemike

Sorry, I make a mistake again. That so called "new species" of Aridarum shown above is actually Bucephalandra!!! An aroid expert just replied me for telling me about my misindentification.




Mike


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## ddavila06

we all make mistakes! 

looking forward to more pictures! =P


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## junglemike

ddavila06 said:


> we all make mistakes!
> 
> looking forward to more pictures! =P


Yup. There are too many species of aroids in Borneo! A lot of new species in my homeland....can't wait to find them out one by one!


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## junglemike

Yesterday, I found grey colored _Bucephalandra motleyana_ in a new location:



















This one is submerged in the water:










One patch of _Bucephalandra_ on the rock....very nice looking!!!










Some of the shape of the leaves are elongated! Never seen before!










On the rock:



















The biotope:


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## junglemike

Some of the leaves are green, but got very interesting pattern on the leaves:










Grey one:










I love my homeland! Got so many interesting plants growing in the river.


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## Tex Gal

So pretty!


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## junglemike

Tex Gal said:


> So pretty!


Yes, indeed.


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## junglemike

Not far away from grey coloured _Bucephalandra_, I found an almost grey coloured _Schismatoglotti_s. It could be something new which related to _Schismatoglottis multiflora_ that I found before.










The biotope


















Submerged in the water:



















under leaf is very nice looking:


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## junglemike

A species of _Pellia_ growing on the wet surface of the rocks there:



















A _Macodes_ jewel orchid is growing next to grey _Schismatoglottis_:



















A species of fern growing on the wet rocky surface....probably a _Bolbitis_???


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## Pink_Lotus

argghhh i'm so jealous of you....just hope that you can bring me along the trip as well...


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## ddavila06

that jewel orchid is awesome! nice find man!!


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## junglemike

Thanks Pink Lotus & Damian.

_Schismatoglottis_'s inflorescence :


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## junglemike

A beautiful type of _Bucephalandra motleyana_ found in Simunjam:










Some leaves got "stripes":


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## junglemike

More photos of new type of _Bucephalandra_ found in Simunjam:




























Inflorescence:





































This one's leaf got mutated??


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## junglemike

More photos of Bucephalandra from Simunjam:














































Another type of _Bucephalandra_ found in Seri Aman. The leaf is longer & slender. It is much smaller than the one above.


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## junglemike

Probably _Schismatoglottis pudenda_ on the clay wall in a stream of Seri Aman:




























....to be continued.


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## AQUASAUR

Nice views of that natural biotopes, mate!
Thanks for sharing!


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## junglemike

Thanks Aquasaur....


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## junglemike

Found _Crypt. longicauda_ in another location. Some of the leaves are maroon red & pinkish coloured!



















Flowering:



















Very big patch of_ Crypt. longicauda _in blackwater drain/ditch:


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## junglemike

_Barclaya motleyi_....



















In another location near Kalimantan - Sarawak border, found Bucephalandra....the leaves here are mixture of grey, dark green, light green & some of them even got "stripes"!



















Some looks a bit like_ Bucephalandra_ "grey" that I found before in other location:


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## junglemike

close-up of the leaves:




























....to be continued.


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## christian_cowgirlGSR

Very nice pictures!


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## junglemike

christian_cowgirlGSR said:


> Very nice pictures!


Thanks for viewing. More coming up soon.


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## junglemike

_Cryptocoryne uenoi_ first (Sungai Sabal Kruin) & second location (nearby river) were badly disturbed by human activities (logging & forest clearing for oil palm) and killed most of the plants. The silt & mud washed down to the river and covered their leaves, blocking them from sunlight....which is the main cause for killing this water plant. The location at Sabal Kruin was disturbed when they were cutting the trees for setting up new electric poles. The plant can't survive well if they are exposed too much in full sunlight. In order to find new location for this plant, I had to drive very slowly, almost 10km/hour in a damaged dirt road & walked another half an hour to reach a small river near Sarawak-Kalimantan border.

There, I also found _Crypt striolata_, _Barclaya motleyi_ & _Schismatoglottis jelandii_.

The second location: Used to be a nice river covered with big patch of _Crypt. uenoi_. Now it is like a dead river....can't see the river bed & not even a single Crypt. found there! _Crypt ferruginea_ which was found near the riverbank also gone! Sad to see this!!!










To find a new location, I walked more than an hour (go there & back to my car) near the border under the scorching sun:










Found this small river at last when I was almost wanted to give up hope.



















First, I only saw a patch of _Barclaya motleyi_....very common in Borneo:



















Then, I saw something else in other spot when I was walking along that small river....










Bingo! It's _Cryptocoryne uenoi_.....finally, I found it in undisturbed location....Yahoooo!!!!


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## junglemike

Underwater shots of the _Crypt uenoi_:



















nice looking leaf:



















Also, I found other Crypt. in other spot:










_Crypt. striolata_ is found here too:


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## junglemike

_Schismatoglottis jelandii _also found here too! It grows in flood zone of the river....



















A _Rasbora_ is swimming pass....


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## speedie408

Pure awesomeness!


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## junglemike

Just came back from Kalimantan Barat of Indonesian Borneo. Some shots taken at the longest river in Borneo: Sungai Kapuas:




























A beautiful waterfall:










A blackwater river...._Barclaya motleyi _found abundantly here:










_Crypt. ferruginea _found in another river....the riverbank is very sandy:




























2 type of colours at 2 different spots:


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## junglemike

The spathe:










Bucephalandra found at Sanggau area:


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## junglemike

Bucephalandra also found in Sintang area:


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## junglemike




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## junglemike

First time found this aroid, _Schismatoglottis tecturata_ at the riverbank of Sanggau & Sintang:














































Some leaves are green but some got variegated leaves:


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## junglemike

I found this pit viper resting on a small branches near the stream in the habitat of _Bucephalandra_:










Found another type of _Bucephalandra_ near Tebakang of Sarawak:










Growing near the water edge, partially submerged:









The margin of the leaf is undulated!










More photos:


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## junglemike

Some more;



















The biotope;


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## ddavila06

love the viper! nice place, nice pics!!


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## junglemike

ddavila06 said:


> love the viper! nice place, nice pics!!


Thanks for viewing....


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## junglemike

Another shot of pit viper, at night:










Found another type of _Bucephalandra _at Padawan area:



















I always found _Bucephalandra_ in waterfall area. I think I should call it as "waterfall aroid".:










Different location, the shape & coloration of the leaf is different:




























And, less than one hundred Kilometer away, i found another type of _Bucephalandra_ which I called it Bucep. "pearl grey":


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## junglemike

Bucep. "pearl grey"....the leaf got very fine, tiny white spots:


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## junglemike

_Homalomena punctulata_




























New species of _Schismatoglottis_:










Mini type of _Aridarum_. New species.


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## junglemike

_Aridarum caulescens_ from Selangau:


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## ddavila06

that mini aridarum would make a great foreground! good find!! =)


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## junglemike

ddavila06 said:


> that mini aridarum would make a great foreground! good find!! =)


Yup, very interesting aroid....


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## Tex Gal

Sure hope you can get some of these in the hobby. They are beautiful plants! Once cultivated we can start sharing them with each other!


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## zachary908

Wow... all those bucephalandra's are amazing! Sure wish they were more readily available in the US


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## junglemike

zachary908 said:


> Wow... all those bucephalandra's are amazing! Sure wish they were more readily available in the US


Thanks for viewing.


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## junglemike

The biotope of the semi aquatic aroids in Sabah (northern Borneo island):



















A lot of aroids there are new species....such as this _Homalomena _which grows next to waterfalls:



















_Schismatoglottis_ sp. New species too.....


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## junglemike

_Piptospatha kinabaluensis_




























_Piptospatha_ sp.


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