Cryptocoryne | |
---|---|
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Green' | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Alismatales |
Family: | Araceae |
Subfamily: | Aroideae |
Tribe: | Cryptocoryneae |
Genus: | Cryptocoryne Fisch. ex Wydler |
Synonyms [1] | |
Myrioblastus Wall. ex Griff. |
Cryptocoryne is a genus of aquatic plants from the family Araceae. The genus is naturally distributed in tropical regions of India, Southeast Asia and New Guinea. [1]
The typical habitats of Cryptocoryne are mostly streams and rivers with not too rapidly flowing water, in the lowland forest. They also live in seasonally inundated forest pools or on river banks submerged only at high water. The English common name "water trumpet" refers to their inflorescence, a spadix enclosed by a spathe (typical for the whole family), which resembles a trumpet. The genus is commonly referred to as to as Crypts by aquarium hobbyists.
The first Cryptocoryne species was described in 1779 as Arum spirale by Retzius. The genus was described by Friedrich Ernst Ludwig von Fischer in 1828. [2] However, the scientific classification of Cryptocoryne species remains controversial.[ citation needed ]
Lagenandra is another genus closely related to the genus Cryptocoryne. The two can be easily told apart since the leaves of Cryptocoryne species exhibit convolute vernation whereas Lagenandra species exhibit involute vernation.[ citation needed ]
The name Cryptocoryne is derived from the Greek crypto, hidden, and koryne, meaning club. The common name (water trumpet) refers to the shape of its inflorescence, which is typical of the Araceae family.[ citation needed ]
Some Cryptocoryne are popular commercially cultivated aquarium plants. Submerged plants reproduce vegetatively, emerse plants may flower and reproduce sexually. Many species are cultivated only by dedicated experts and are very hard to grow, or are not present in a culture at all. Some species are endangered because their natural habitats are disappearing. On the other hand, some water trumpets (e.g. Cryptocoryne beckettii) are very hardy aquarium plants, easy to grow to the point that they have become an invasive species after being introduced in Florida in North America. [3]
Cryptocoryne is either found in peat bogs or on limestone; the latter do well in most aquaria, the former must have soft water to survive and need decomposing beech leaf litter to do well. C. striolata, while found primarily in peat bogs, has also been found growing on limestone. Borneo is home to many endemic crypts previously thought to grow only in tea-colored soft acid water emulating peat bogs but exploration of habitats from 2005 to 2010 showed about half grew on limestone as well. These hardwater Cryptocorynes are generally the easier ones to keep (in fact, some species, such as Cryptocoryne wendtii are said to be among the most versatile of aquarium plants); they tolerate low or bright light but grow faster in more intense light. This water plant's range is around 12 to 33 °C, and slightly alkaline to neutral pH.
Plants of the genus Cryptocoryne, which range from India to New Guinea are found in very diverse conditions. Some are true acid loving plants such as C. pallidnerva, found in peat bogs in Borneo, while others such as C. crispatula var. balansae and C. pontiderifolia are found in streams with limestone beds—hard alkaline water. One species, C. ciliata is even found in semi-brackish water in some areas. It is one of the few aquarium plants that tolerates salt concentrations.
Cryptocoryne plants have been in cultivation in the aquarium hobby since the late 18th century, although it was not until the 1960s that more than a handful of species was known and became more common in the hobby. New species still regularly crop up as interest in these plants widens and more collecting expeditions by private parties are carried out.
A phenomenon often encountered when planting new crypts in an aquarium is commonly called Crypt melt, whereby the plant loses all its leaves. [4] There seem to be two possible causes for this.
Rapid environmental change is thought to trigger this, as these plants do not seem to adapt well to transplantion, and may need 30 days or so to become established and for the leaves to regrow. Experienced growers report that it is better to plant crypts in aquariums that have been established for at least three months.[ citation needed ]
In the wild, crypts can grow fully submerged underwater, but in some plant nurseries they are often grown emersed and crypt melt could then be triggered by the change from emerse to submerse conditions.
There is lately a trend for such nurseries to send crypts as just a rootstock (i.e. without the leaves) to reduce shipping costs and because the leaves will be lost anyway once planted in an aquarium.
Other reports [5] emphasise the need to change the aquarium water regularly to prevent the buildup of nitrates which are thought to trigger this condition (often referred to as a disease).
Salacca is a genus of about 20 species of palms native to Southeast Asia and the eastern Himalayas. They are dioecious and pollinated by Curculionidae beetles.
Mallotus is a genus of the spurge family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1790. Two species are found in tropical Africa and Madagascar, while all others are found in East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, eastern Australia, and certain islands of the western Pacific. The genus has about 150 species of dioecious trees or shrubs.
Agrostistachys is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1850. It is native to Southeast Asia, New Guinea, India, and Sri Lanka.
Cleistanthus is a plant genus of the family Phyllanthaceae, tribe Bridelieae, first described as a genus in 1848. It is widespread in much of the Old World Tropics in Asia, Africa, Australia, and various oceanic islands. Cleistanthus collinus is known for being toxic and may be the agent of homicides or suicides.
Drypetes is a plant genus of the family Putranjivaceae, in the order Malpighiales.
Dipterocarpus is a genus of flowering plants and the type genus of family Dipterocarpaceae.
Daemonorops was a genus of rattan palms in the family Arecaceae. Its species are now included within the genus Calamus. Species now placed in Daemonorops are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate individuals. They are found primarily in the tropics and subtropics of southeastern Asia with a few species extending into southern China and the Himalayas.
Actinodaphne is an Asian genus of flowering plants in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It contains approximately 125 species of dioecious evergreen trees and shrubs.
Pothos is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is native to China, the Indian Subcontinent, Australia, New Guinea, Southeast Asia, and various islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Alseodaphne is a genus of plants in the family Lauraceae, endemic to China and Southeast Asia. The genus has 96 species of evergreen trees to shrubs. They have bisexual flowers, a fruit stalk that is red, green, or yellow, and black fruit.
Cryptocoryne × willisii is a plant in the family Araceae.
Cryptocoryne wendtii, the Wendt's water trumpet, is a species of herbaceous plant and popular aquarium plant which is native to Sri Lanka. It was described by Dutch botanist Hendrik de Wit in honour of aquarium hobbyist and writer Albert Wendt.
Cryptocoryne auriculata is a plant species belonging to the Araceae genus Cryptocoryne.
Schismatoglottis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. Members of the genus are similar in appearance and growth habit to those of the genus Homalomena, but the two genera are not closely related. The primary difference is that the leaves of Schismatoglottis are not aromatic. Schismatoglottis are found primarily in tropical parts of Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Melanesia. The majority of the species are native to the Island of Borneo.
Scindapsus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is native to Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Queensland, and a few western Pacific islands. The species Scindapsus pictus is common in cultivation.
Anadendrum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is native to China and Southeast Asia.
Lagenandra is a genus of aquatic flowering plants in the aroid family, Araceae, endemic to the Indian Subcontinent. The genus has gradually become more known through the aquascaping and aquarium hobby, in which several related Araceae genera are already highly prized and grown on a large scale ; Lagenandra, however, is still relatively rare in cultivation or private collections.
Sciaphila is a genus of mycoheterotrophic plants in the family Triuridaceae. These plants receive nutrition from fungi and neighboring trees and have less need for photosynthesis. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, found in Africa, China, Japan, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Latin America and on various islands Pacific Islands. The most noteworthy feature of the genus is the number of the various flower parts 99.9 percent of Monocots are trimerous, but Sciaphila spp. can have eight or even ten parts in a whorl.
Boesenbergia is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It contains more than 90 species, native to China, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia.
Cryptocoryne parva is an aquatic freshwater plant, often grown in aquariums. It is the smallest known member of the genus Cryptocoryne. Native to Sri Lanka, it grows as a small rosette reaching between 5 - 8 cm. Emersed leaves are a little wider than those growing under water. The spathe is c. 1.5 cm.