Cryptocoryne cordata Griffith var. cordata

will be updated soon

Recently, Jacobsen (2002) gave a first article on the taxonomy of the cordata group. Plants from Sumatra and Borneo were described as varieties (see below). The plants on this page belong to C. cordata var. cordata in a broad sense. Their origin is in the Malaya peninsula: West Malaysia and Southern Thailand. A new revision for this group, with probably new varieties is underway, so be patient for a while.

Cryptocoryne cordata var. cordata is a variety of much debate for many decades. The present opinion is that C. cordata is a 'broad' species, due to the variation in both the inflorescence and the leaves. Chromosome counts reveals 2n = 34, 68 ("siamensis"), 85, 102 ("blassii").  They are all characterized by a broad yellow limb of the spathe, more or less with a brown tinge. A typical collar is lacking, but there may be a thickened 'collar zone'. The leaves vary from cordate to elliptic, from green to deep brown, lower side of the leave from pale green to deep purple. The leaves can be bullate. Almost any combination of these features has been seen, making it nonsense to give them a species status. But aquarists of course want to have a name in stead of a collection number. The best way to do this is, is to use the identification as is done by the firm Tropica, f.e. C. cordata ("blassii"). I stongly suggest to give support to this way of identifying your Crypts, maintaining a reasonable neat taxonomy in Cryptocoryne.

^{Click on the picture to get the full image (ca 50 k)}

An aquarium picture of C. cordata var. cordata. Especially the forms with a high chromosome number prove to be good aquarium plants tolerating high Ca levels. photo Möhlmann	In shallow water, the leaves reaches the surface. The spathe grows out of the water, making pollinating possible by small flies, which might be attracted by the odour of the inflorescence. Note the slight bullate leaves. photo Jacobsen	The 'classical' C. cordata var. cordata ("blassii") has a more or less developed brown tinge over the limb, most prominent on the edges. The (bullated) leaves are broad cordate to ovate and can be quite brown and have a deep purple lower side. The "blassii" has 2n = 102. photo Bastmeijer	The leaves of this plant are very dark with fine purple dots on it. The lower side deep purple. The limb is brownish at the edges. Note the somewhat swollen throat, called a collarzone. One of the very many 'in between' forms, making a decision difficult. photo Bastmeijer
In the 70s Mr. Schneider from Zugzen (CH) discovered a deviant specimen in an import shipment. This plant is described as a cultivar: Cryptocoryne cordata 'Rosanervig'. Unfortunately, the rose veins may be less pronounced under some conditions. photo Bastmeijer	In the lower part of the kettle, C. cordata shows in a circle 5 - 8 greenish female flowers. Two to three days after opening the stigma's get wet and become a bit transparent. In this picture you see the purple styles through it. photo Bastmeijer	This plant with 2n = 68 chromosomes represents the C. cordata ("siamensis") complex. The limb is quite glossy. The leaves are ovate and have a brownish upper side and a deep purple lower side of the leaves. photo Bastmeijer	C. cordata var. cordata is characterized by the broad, yellow limb of the spathe. The throat in this specimen is a bit glossy, in contrast to the limb. This plant has even green cordate leaves without any purple, the lower side is pale green. 2n = 85. Unknown locality photo Bastmeijer
A circle of female flowers with an inner circle of 'olfactory bodies' (yellow). Some male flowers, which normally are on the top of the spadix, are between these bodies. This is rather often seen in Cryptocoryne. photo Bastmeijer	Drawing of C. cordata var. cordata in de Wit 1960b, 1990. The drawing is labeled C. "grabowskii" but is var. cordata from the Malay peninsula. drawing Ike Zewald	Drawing of the type specimen of 'C. blassii'   (de Wit 1960a). The short naked axis between the male and the female flowers is not typical. Today it is regarded as a synonym for C. cordata var. cordata. drawing Ike Zewald	Distibution of C. cordata in W. Malaysia and southern Thailand. Much fieldwork is necesary to resolve the questions about the different types in C. cordata.

Cryptocoryne cordata has many forms which are very different in cultivation. The very popular C. cordata ("blassii") with a chromosome number of 2n = 102 proves to be the easiest. It tolerates water hardness up to 25 DH without any problem. The plants easily reach up to 20 - 30 cm, making them much wanted by aquarists. Some firms offer the plant now from micropropagation, but they proved to be rather difficult to start.
It seems that the higher the polyploidy, the easier the plant is to cultivate.
Cryptocoryne cordata is still a complicated issue. At first there was the debate on the right interpretation of C. purpurea and C. cordata. Later on Rataj (1974, 1975, 1977) made some poor descriptions of 'new' Crypts, all of them to be regarded as synonyms of C. cordata var. cordata (see the Synonyms page). For the  the Bornean species Cryptocoryne cordata var. grabowskii and Cryptocoryne cordata var. zonata. The Sumatra species Cryptocoryne cordata var. diderici.
For the interested reader, I give an extended list of publications on this species.

See also the other Cryptocoryne of the cordata-group

Jan D.Bastmeijer, updated January 2003

Literature:

Arends, J.C., Bastmeijer, J.D. & Jacobsen, N.,1982. Chromosome numbers and taxonomy in Cryptocoryne (Araceae)II. Nord.J.Bot. 2 : 453-463.
Benl, G., 1960. Ein neuer Wasserkelch aus Thailand : Cryptocoryne blassii de Wit 1960. DATZ 13 : 116-118.
Bogner, J. & Jacobsen, N., 1985. Eine neue Sorte : Cryptocoryne cordata Griffith 'Rosanervig'. Aqua-Planta 10(2) : 12.
Brown, N.E., 1880. On some new Aroideae. J.Linn.Soc.XVIII : 242-245, plate IV.
Bruggen, H.W.E. van, 1975. Cryptocoryne siamensis Gagnepain. Het Aquarium 46 : 90-91.
Furtado, C.X., 1935. Araceae Malesicae. Gardens Bull.of the Straits Settlem. 8 : 145-148.
Gagnepain, F., 1941. Aracees nouvelles Indochinoises. Not.Syst. 9, 3 : 131-134.
Griffith, W., 1851. Cryptocoryne. Not.Pl.Asiat.III:134-143; Icon.Pl.Asiat.3 T.170,172. Calcutta.
Hooker, J.D., 1893. Cryptocoryne, Lagenandra in the: Flora of British India 6 : 492-496.
Jacobsen, N., 1977. Chromosome numbers and taxonomy in Cryptocoryne (Araceae). Bot.Notiser 130 : 71-87.
Jacobsen, N., 1982. Cryptocorynen. Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart.
Jacobsen, N., 1985. Cryptocoryne cordata Griffith (Pflanzenportrait). Aqua-Planta 10(2): 15-18.
Jacobsen, N., 1985. The Cryptocoryne (Araceae) of Borneo. Nord.J.Bot. 5 : 31-50.
Jacobsen, N., 1986. Deterioration of the habitats of the Cryptocoryne species. Symp.Bedreiging van het aquatisch milieu, Ludwigia, Wageningen : 33.
Jacobsen, N. 2002. Der Cryptocoryne Griffith - Komplex (Araceae) in Malesien. Aqua-Planta 27 : 150-151.
Jacobsen, N. & J.Bogner, 1987. Die Cryptocorynen der Malaiischen Halbinsel (2.Teil). Aqua-Planta 12(1): 13-20.
Kasselmann, C., 1995. Aquarienpflanzen. Ulmer, Stuttgart.
Mansor, M., Kamaruzaman Mohd. & Adenan Jaafar, (?). A vanishing cordate Water Trumpet. Nature Malaysiana 17(3) : 99-100.
Möhlmann, F., 1979. Publikation einer neue Cryptocoryne. Cryptocoryne Möhlmann 36 (spec."rosanervis"). Aqua-Planta 4(1): 3 (+cover).
Mühlberg, H., 1980. Das grosse Buch der Wasserpflanzen. Dausien, Hanau.
Rataj, K., 1974. New cultivated species of the genus Cryptocoryne (Araceae). Folia Geobot.Phytotax. 9 : 313-314, plates 15-16.
Rataj, K., 1975. Revision of the genus Cryptocoryne Fischer. Studie CSAV, c.3.Praha.
Rataj, K. & Horeman, T.J., 1977. Aquarium Plants. TFH Publ, USA.
Ridley, H.N., 1907. Cryptocoryne Fisch. Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula : 3-6.
Ridley, H.N., 1925. Cryptocoryne. Fl. Malay Pen. 5 : 86-88.
Roe, C.D., 1967. A manual of aquarium plants. Shirley aquatics Ltd.
Sadilek, V., 1973. Neue Cryptocorynen X : Cryptocoryne purpurea Ridley. DATZ 26 : 128-130.
Sadilek, V., 1979. Unklarheiten bei Cryptocoryne cordata. DATZ 32/2 : 56-58.
Sadilek, V., 1981. Sind die malayischen Cryptocorynen Problempflanzen ? Aqua-Planta 6(3): 76-78.
Sadilek, V., 1982. Unklarheiten um Cryptocoryne grabowskii und Cryptocoryne grandis. Aqua-Planta 7(1): 9-11.
Schöpfel, H., 1974. Cryptocoryne siamensis. Aquarien & Terrarien 21/10 : 338-339.
Wendt, A., 1955. Etwas über richtige und falsche Namen unserer Cryptocorynen. DATZ 8 : 236-240.
Wendt, A., 1955. Cryptocoryne cordata, grandis und griffithii. Aquarien & Terrarien 2(5) : 146-148.
Wit, H.C.D.de, 1951. Cryptocoryne cordata, Cryptocoryne griffithii. Het Aquarium 22(6) : 128-129.
Wit, H.C.D.de, 1958. Cryptocoryne griffithii and its allies. Fishkeeping * (1958 ?)
Wit, H.C.D.de, 1960a. Cryptocoryne blassii de Wit sp.nov. DATZ 13(4) : 115-116.
Wit, H.C.D.de, 1960b. Het genus Cryptocoryne (13). Cryptocoryne cordata Griffith. Het Aquarium 31(3) : 50-51.
Wit, H.C.D.de, 1990. Aquarienpflanzen, 2. Auflage. Ulmer, Stuttgart.