Cryptocoryne parva De Wit

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A locality of C. parva in the highlands near Kandy, Sri Lanka photo Jacobsen	Detail of the locality near Kandy. photo Jacobsen	Locality in the Kegalle district, Sri Lanka. photo Jacobsen	An uproted specimen of C. parva photo Jacobsen
Habitus of C. parva in emersed culture. The ruler division is 1 cm. photo Bastmeijer	The limb of the spathe of C. parva never opens wide. There is a distinct collar. photo Bastmeijer	A view inside the kettle of C. parva. The wall of the kettle being cut away for one half. photo Bastmeijer	Cultivated specimen of C. parva photo Jacobsen
A small container, densily grown with C. parva at temperatures between 20- 25 C. Not the unopened spathe. photo van Wijngaarden	From the same container a rather long spathe. Note the narrow opening of the limb. photo van Wijngaarden	De Wit (1990) gives this drawing onf C. parva drawing Ike Zewald	Distribution of C. parva on Sri Lanka

Cryptocoryne parva is the smallest Crypt, known until now. The leaves mostly not exceeding 6 cm. The spathe is about 1.5 cm. The leaves are grass-green without any purple. However this species is quite easy to cultivate, it is seldom seen in aquaria. It is an excellent plant for the foreground of a normal aquarium, growing not too fast, so reducing maintenance.
Already in 1928, Petch, who was director of the Botanical Gardens of Peredeniya (Sri Lanka), published in his Notes on Cryptocoryne (see the Document service) a drawing of this species, which he regarded to be a C. nevillii (see more on this topic under C. x willisii). De Wit described it as Cryptocoryne parva in 1970.
Cryptocoryne parva grows in the central highlands of Sri Lanka near Kandy. It is collected in the recent years only a very few times and must perhaps be regarded as a threatened species!

Jan D.Bastmeijer, updated February 2002

Literature:
Alston, A.H.G., 1938. Cryptocoryne in: The Kandy Flora : 68, fig.363-367 (with some drawings).
Eggers, G., 1994. Sri Lanka 2. Lagenandra- und Cryptocoryne-Arten. Aqua-Planta 1-94 : 20-28.
Graaf, A.de & Arends, J.C., 1986. The occurrence of Cryptocoryne and Lagenandra (Araceae) on Sri Lanka. Nord.J.Bot. 6 : 757-764.
Horst, K., 1986. Pflanzen im Aquarium. Ulmer, Stuttgart.
Jacobsen, N., 1976. Notes on Cryptocoryne of Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Bot.Notiser 129 : 179-190.
Jacobsen, N., 1977. Zytologie und Taxonomie der Cryptocorynen Sri Lankas. Aqua-Planta 4-77 : 3-8 (cover).
Jacobsen, N., 1981. Cryptocoryne undulata Wendt und Bemerkungen zu andere Arten. Aqua-Planta 2-81 : 31-38 (cover).
Jacobsen, N., 1981. Cryptocoryne undulata Wendt und Bemerkungen zu anderen Arten - ein Nachtrag. Aqua-Planta 4-81 : 92-94.
Jacobsen, N., 1982. Cryptocorynen. Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart.
Jacobsen, N., 1987. Cryptocoryne in: A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon, Vol. VI: 85-99.
Kasselmann, C., 1995. Aquarienpflanzen. Ulmer, Stuttgart.
Möhlmann, F., 1993. Die Cryptocoryne-Arten Ceylons (1). Aqua-Planta 4-93 : 123-128.
Petch, B.A., 1928. Notes on Cryptocoryne. Annals R.Bot.Gard., Peradeniya : Vol.11 part 1 : 11-26, pl 2-5 (nice drawings).
Trimen, H., 1885. Notes on the Flora of Ceylon. J.Bot. 23 : 269.
Wendt, A., 1958. Die Gattung Cryptocoryne Fischer. Die Aquariumpflanzen in Wort und Bild (1952-1958), Stuttgart.
Wit, H.C.D.de, 1970. A key to the species of Cryptocoryne Fisch. ex Wydler (Araceae). Misc. papers 6 LH Wageningen : 257-280.
Wit, H.C.D.de, 1971. Het genus Cryptocoryne (22). Cryptocoryne lucens de Wit, Cryptocoryne parva de Wit. Het Aquarium 41(12) : 291-293.
Wit, H.C.D.de, 1990. Aquarienpflanzen, 2. Auflage. Ulmer, Stuttgart.