C. pallidinervia 'Sibu 1'

This was the first species of cryptocoryne we found during my maiden trip to Sarawak. The cryptocorynes were in a black water ditch along the road near Sibu. There were no emersed specimens, all of them were submersed under water.

The pH of the water was low, lesser or equal to 4.5. From the above photographs, it could be seen that the bed of the ditch was sandy mud.

We managed to find a few spathes but none of them were opened. However, from the look of the small and short kettle and the location which we found the specimens, we deduced that this should be C. pallidinervia.

My maiden trip to Sarawak

Armed with some self compiled maps and photographs of various species of cryptocorynes, I followed my explorer friend to Sarawak for a field trip last weekend. Below is a quick summary of the highlights of the trip:

• We almost missed the plane to Sarawak due to traffic jam in Singapore. We reached Changi Airport Terminal 1 only 40mins before departure time. Due to not being able to check in our luggage, my friend's Swiss army knives were confiscated by the airport security.
• We were delighted that the rental car company in Sarawak was trust worthy enough to deliver the car to Kuching airport at 10pm at night!
• We had a late night dinner along Sarawak river, feeling relieved that we managed to catch the plane after all.

• We made our way up towards Sibu over the night without sleeping, ate an early breakfast at Sarikei, hit a bat, and located C. pallidinervia 'Sibu' along the road to Sibu.

• We accidentally discovered C. lingua 'Sibu' under a wooden bridge along a brackish water river.

• We located C. bullosa around Pakan and ate some delicious wild durian there.

• I was confused by some of the road signs I saw.

• We failed to locate an acceptable hotel and decided to spend the night in the car instead at a closed R&R centre nearby, too tired to drive further to another town to search for a hotel.
• We located C. bullosa at Sungai Seblak (not Sibiak) and some other adjacent streams.

• We located C. longicauda at Betong area.

• We located C. longicauda at Pantu area.

• We managed to reach Kampong Sabal Kruin area just before nightfall to locate C. uenoi.

• We passed by Kampong Kerait area too late and dark to search for C. ferruginea.
• While searching for cryptcoryne along the road from Bau area and Serikin area, I dropped more than 2m through a hole beside a bridge but was lucky enough to be able to hang on to the thick layers of creepers and vines above before reaching the bottom of the drain. Mother nature was kind to me.
• I learnt that Bau area is not as easy a place to locate cryptocorynes.
• I was impressed by the English language standard of the Dayak people in Sarawak.
• I tried Sarawak Laksa for the 1st time.

I will separately post on the cryptocorynes which I found in Sarawak this trip.

C. sp. 'Singkep 1'

My explorer friend passed me a specimen of C. sp. 'Singkep 1' too. Below are some photographs of its leaves for your reference.

C. sp. 'Singkep Island 3' spathe

My explorer friend passed me a specimen of C. sp. 'Singkep Island 3'. Below are some photographs of the leaves.

He had a flowering specimen and invited me to take some photographs of the spathe. I thought that it would look like that of C. sp. 'Lingga Island' but I was wrong! It looked more like the spathe of C. schulzei instead. However, when we cut the kettle, my friend felt that the female portion of the flower looked like that of C. xtimahensis.

Be it C. schulzei or C. xtimahensis, it proved that the distribution of such species is much wider than what we currently knows (i.e. only in Singapore / Johore). Perhaps it could even be a new species? We will let the experts decide.

Singkep Island has cryptocorynes too

My explorer friend found cryptocorynes last weekend on Singkep Island. Are they similar species to those cryptocorynes found on the neighbouring Lingga Island or are different? Visit his blog to view the photographs!

C. scurrilis 'Indragiri Hulu Sumatra' update

I have not went for a field trip for more than a month (maybe will make a short trip next weekend to Sarawak?) and have not had any cryptocorynes blooming in my cultivation tanks so I have nothing much to update except maybe some photographs of the leaves of C. scurrilis 'Indragiri Hulu Sumatra' in my cutivation tank:

My explorer friend found 3 different looking types of specimens from around the same location then. Well they might be the same species or different, I can only know when they flower. They are planted in 3 different pots currently as shown below.

The 1st type has browner leaves with reddish underside.

The 2nd type has green leaves which are more elongated with greenish underside.

The 3rd type has green leaves with greenish underside.

I hope they will flower soon.....

C. villosa leaves

I was lucky to obtain a specimen of C. villosa 'Sumatra' from my explorer friend. This is how the leaves looked like, very normal and typical I would say:

Hopefully it will grow well in my emersed cultivation tank...