Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia
Schott (1863)
Family: Araceae. Synonyms: C. sulphured de Wit Etymology: Cryptocoryne: see C. affinis; pontederiifolia: refers to the similarity of the leaves of the genus Pontederia. Distribution: Sumatra (Padang Province). Description: Marsh plant, 10-40 cm tall. Blade lanceolate to narrow ovoid, 9-14 cm long, 3-8 cm wide, smooth or slightly bull-ate, light to olive green, occasionally brownish or mild violet. Apex acute; base usually cordate.
Spathe 4-7 cm long. Tube up to 0.5 cm long. Limb 1.5-5 cm, cuspidate, erect or recurved, little twisted, rough to slightly wrinkly, interior yellow or reddish. Collar wide, smooth to a little rough, coloring like the limb. Female flowers 5-6. Male flowers 20-35. Number of chromosomes 2n = 30. Culture: Due to unproblematic maintenance, C. pontederiifolia counts among the most often kept Cryptocorynes. A shady place is adequate. Slightly illuminated specimens, however, will attain a greater growth height compared to plants cultivated under intensive light. The species feels most comfortable in soft to medium-hard, weak acid to neutral water. Depending on the nutrient supply, the habitus will develop more or less strong. Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia prospers in temperatures between 18 and 28 °C, with the optimum range between 22 and 25 °C. After an initial period of several weeks, when the plants take root, they will develop rapidly and propagate easily by forming runners. Plants more often than not react to interference with the so-called Cryptocoryne rot. Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia belongs to the medium-sized Cryptocorynes and should be planted as a group. Its appearance is similar to C. moehl-mannii (see photo p. 206) Ecology: The species grows in the freshwater tidal zone together with Nypafruticans (Nipa palm). Refer also to C. moehlmannii. Other: Bogner and Jacobsen imported C. pontederiifolia in 1985 from western Sumatra. In cultivation the plants, collected from a single location, developed both yellow as well as reddish colored limbs.
Inflorescences of Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia with yellow and reddish limb.
Inflorescences of Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia with yellow and reddish limb.
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