Anatomy of a Crypt

by Curt Dunaway
of the Southern Colorado Aquarium Society, and plantgeek.net
Aquarticles

Sometime late last year (2004) I purchased some Crypts that were identified as Cryptocoryne walkeri. As some may know, to be 100% sure of the identity of a Crypt, you really need a flower. I had no reason to doubt what it was sold to me as, but a little part of me wanted to get flowers anyway. I planted most of the plants in assorted tanks and I took a few and put them in an emersed set up I had going. Nothing fancy, just a 10g tank with about an inch and a half of water in it, two air stones that ran front to back, splitting the tank into thirds, a glass top and 52w of PC light. The plants were placed in “Jiffy Pop” peat plugs and put in the tank. I dosed ferts heavily using mixed solutions of Plantex CSM+B, potassium nitrate, and mono potassium phosphate. Usually three times a week, but I admit I forgot on occasion. I had several other plants in this tank that I would look at, but I didn’t pay much attention to the Crypts, I know they take a while to grow.

In April of this year (2005) I was doing some work in the tank and noticed something looked a bit off on one of the C. walkeri. I pulled it out and was very happy to find the start of a flower. Upon closer inspection, not only did I have this one, but I found another on a different plant.

I was rather excited and checked on them daily. They continued to grow and less than a week after my discovery the first one started to open.

They are not much to look at compared to some other aquatic flowers, but I think that is what makes them neat. They have a very unusual structure, which I will get to later.

Within two days of it opening, it started to melt away in true Crypt fashion. I chalked it up to me messing with it too much. The constant handling, in and out of the tank for its photo shoots. My goal was to try and pollinate it, but I still had another one, so all was not lost. I also took the opportunity to dissect and look at the inside.

Two days later the other one opened. I went out and got some flightless fruit flies to try and send them down into the kettle and pollinate. Some managed to go down, but I can’t be 100% sure pollination was successful, for that I will have to wait and see.

So what makes up a Crypt flower? Well, here it is for you. As I said, I think they are rather unusual.

After cutting the spathe open, some discussion with another Plantgeek, and some research, it was decided this was not a C. walkeri after all, but rather a C. wendtii. I was disappointed at first, but after some thought realized I had a Crypt flower and that is not all that bad.

If you ever have a Crypt flower and need help deciding exactly which one you have, I suggest you take a look at Jan D. Bastmeijer's "Crypt pages."