The cordata group

Jacobsen (2002) wrote a first short article on varieties in C. cordata regarding the Sumatra and Borneo species. In a second article he will deal with the Malay species. This update is therefore a provisional one for the time being.

Looking at the Synonyms page, it is clear that there was and is much debate on the taxonomical status of many Cryptocoryne's. On this page, the cordata group is put together to look at the differences (as far as we know up to now).

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C. cordata var. cordata photo Bastmeijer	C. cordata var. cordata photo Bastmeijer	C. cordata var. cordata photo Bastmeijer	C. cordata var. cordata photo Bastmeijer
C. cordata 'Rosanervig' photo Bastmeijer	C. cordata var. grabowskii photo Bogner	C. cordata var. diderici photo Bastmeijer	C. cordata var. zonata photo van Wijngaarden

The length of the spathe can vary between 5 and 50 cm (probably to some extend depending on environmental factors, submersed specimens tend to have long spathe's). The tube is mostly bright white, the limb of the spathe is smooth in C. cordata var. cordata and rather rough in C. cordata var. diderici. The color of the limb of the spathe in C. cordata var. cordata varies from bright yellow to quite brown, in C. cordata var. diderici the limb is reddish purple. A collar lacks in C. cordata var. cordata or there is at most something like a thickened collar zone, the latter is more prominent in C. cordata var. diderici. All varieties have a wide opened throat.

The leaves in the cordata group vary from bright green without any purple on the lower side, to a dark brown marmorated upper side and a deep red lower side. Known chromosome numbers in C. cordata are 2n = 34, 68, 85 and 102.

C. cordata var. cordata grows in the Malay peninsula (W. Malaysia and Thailand), while C. cordata var. grabowskii and C. cordata var. zonata  are from Borneo and C. cordata var. diderici is from Sumatra.

Look for comparison also at C. ´purpurea nothovar. purpurea, from W. Malaysia. This taxon is regarded as a natural hybrid between C. cordata var. cordata and C. griffithii. C. ´purpurea nothovar. borneoensis from Borneo is regarded to be a hybrid between C. griffithii and C. cordata var. zonata.

There also exists a C. ´purpurea with a yellowish limb of the spathe.

Jan D. Bastmeijer, update January 2003

literature:

Jacobsen, N. 2002. Der Cryptocoryne cordata Griffith - Komplex (Araceae) in Malesien. Aqua-Planta 27 : 150-151.