Cryptocoryne bangkaensis
Different from my other two varieties of bangkaensis, this one sports green leaves that are slightly bullate.
It also has a fair bit of wine-red coloration under the leaves, especially the veins.
Though this one does not grow quite as large as the ‘Bangka Giant’ variety, this is a very beautiful crypt and this week it threw up a spathe for the first time.
With a ‘toothed’ edge on the limb of the spathe, a fairly well defined collar and narrow throat, the spathe is quite distinct. The mottled coloration of the limb has to be seen in person to be truly appreciated.
The purple coloration in the throat fades down to white in the tube, with some additional color in the kettle.
Collector code: Cryptocoryne bangkaensis Waser 2001-4
Cryptocoryne bangkaensis spathe
I’ve been growing C. bangkaensis for about 18 months. I find it to be a fairly easy plant to grow under standard blackwater conditions. A few months ago, one of my plants started to send up a spathe – but unfortunately, while the spathe was still only a few millimeters long, it melted. The plant tried again two additional times, with similar results. I couldn’t figure out why the spathe was not maturing. Guessing it was some kind of nutrient deficiency, I added a fertilizer tab to the pot, hoping that would do the trick. The next spathe developed normally, and it finally opened up yesterday. Here are a few pictures, maybe excessive pictures, but its a beautiful spathe and I couldn’t help myself. Pictures don’t do this spathe justice – the patterns, colors and textures are to be seen in person to be truly appreciated.
Code for this specific plant is:
Cryptocoryne bangkaensis Bangka ‘Dwarf’ Waser 01-1
