This new species is discovered in the northern part of Sarawak where it grows rather
exposed on the banks of the river. It resembles a bit C. lingua and C.
ciliata in the leaves but the inflorescence is very distinct and not to compare with
any other Cryptocoryne.
Click on the picture to get the full image (ca.50 kB)
|
|
|
|
Cryptocoryne zaidiana grows near a big
river in northern Sarawak.
photo Ipor |
A small tributary of the river with C.
zaidiana growing on the banks.
photo Ipor |
The whole bank is crowded with C. zaidiana.
coll. CST 2548
photo Ipo |
Close up of C. zaidiana on the bank of
the stream.
coll. CST 2548
photo Ipor |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Another close up of C. zaidiana with
dark green leaves. Note the small ´ears´ at the base.
coll. CST 2548
photo Ipor |
A wild collected plant of C. zaidiana with an immature spathe.
coll. CST 2548
photo Ipor |
A young cultivated plant. The leaves are smooth,
even green, rather thick and with a more or less truncated base.
coll. CST 2548, cult. B1120 |
C. zaidiana can grow twice as big here
(pot 9 cm diam.)
coll. CST 2548, cult. B1120 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A semi emersed cultivated plant with an emerging
bud.
coll. CST 2548, cult. NJ
photo Jacobsen |
Limb of the spathe of C. zaidiana.
coll. CST 2548
photo Ipor |
Note the extreme warts on the surface.
coll. IBI 05-33, cult.NJ
photo Jacobsen |
A less intense colored limb of the spathe.
coll. CST 2548, cult.NJ
photo Jacobsen |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
The limb recurs.
coll. CST 2548, cult.NJ
photo Jacobsen |
Top of the limb with the very pronounced warts.
coll. CST 2548, cult.NJ
photo Jacobsen |
A pronounced collar.
coll. CST 2548, cult.NJ
photo Jacobsen |
A pressed spathe to show the whole inside
surface of the limb.
coll. CST 2548, cult.NJ
photo Jacobsen |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Opened lower part of the tube, the kettle. The
kettle is a bit constricted in the middle, the lower part is red purple.
coll. CST 2548
photo Ipor |
Note the typical form of the styles.
coll. CST 2548
photo Ipor |
In this cultivated specimen, the kettle wall is
fully white inside.
coll. CST 2548, cult.NJ
photo Jacobsen |
The styles are elongated, the stigma´s are
´half way´, not seen in any other Cryptocoryne.
coll. CST 2548, cult.NJ
photo Jacobsen |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
A fruit (a so called syncarpium) from a wild
collected specimen.
coll. CST 2548
photo Ipor |
Seeds of C. zaidiana found inside the
syncarpium.
coll. CST 2548
photo Ipor |
Drawing of C. zaidiana.
drawing by Joseph Pao |
Distribution of C. zaidiana in Sarawak.
Up to now only one locality is known |
|
|
|
|
The first results in cultivating are very promising. The plant is robust and grows easy
in a 'standard' potting medium. However the propagation seems to be rather low as only a
few runners are made in half a year. The is no experience yet in submersed cultivation
(aquarium) but probably it will do and it may an attractive plant by its truncated leaves.
Updated January 2006
Literature
Ipor, I.B., C.S. Tawan & N. Jacobsen, 2005. A new species of Cryptocoryne (Araceae) from Borneo. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 57: 1-6.
|