Visit the Cryptocoryne habitats in Sarawak

[kuching]

I like the fully coloured C. yujii spathe from the 1st habitat best among all 3 habitats. Hope I would have a chance to visit these habitats to photograph the blooming spathes in their natural environment too. Thanks for sharing and please post more!

Welcome.

[kuching]

Before we return to Kuching, we found a new location of Crypt. fusca near Seri Aman. Crypt fusca is very common in Kalimantan Barat of Indonesian Borneo but its rare in Sarawak side. So far, this is the second spot where I found this species.


A beautiful river near Seri Aman.





Habitat of Crypt fusca (blackwater peat swamp):

[kuching]

The spathe of Crypt fusca









The flower of Barclaya motleyi. This species is found growing together with Crypt fusca.

[kuching]

Few months later, I went out with another group of people who were doing research on fish at western Sarawak. during the trip, I found out another location for Crypt. cordata var. zonata. This species is common in western Sarawak.





The spathe (center):



Water is almost stagnant.




Freshwater swamp; the habitat:

[kuching]

On the first week of November, when I was exploring in a limestone outcrop of Sarawak, I discovered the 2nd location of Crypt. striolata (green form). This is a rare variety of Crypt striolata....which only grows in hardwater stream at the foothill of limestone hills.


The limestone outcrop:




Crypt. striolata (green form)










Growing on limestone rocks.




The habitat.

[limz_777]

thanks for sharing , interesting wildlife

[nasty12]

Always love your pics! Amazing!!!
Great job!!

[kuching]

Thanks limz777 & nasty12. Just came home from my fishing trip....it was a bad time to explore during the rainy season. Will post my pictures soon...

[john lee]

I like your photos, very beautiful, is simply a paradise for Cryptocoryne

[kuching]

Thanks John.

[john lee]

Thanks John.

thank you!great.

[kuching]

February 15, 2010. It was the 2nd day of Chinese New Year (holiday in Malaysia), I drove 500km to visit my friends in central of Sarawak. The raining season is not over yet....it rains almost everyday and most of the rivers have very high water level.

Nevertheless, I decided to visit some of the habitats of Cryptocoryne on my way to Sibu town from my home in Kuching.

First location is a peat swamp near Pusa, about 3 & half hour hours drive from my home. This is a new location. I found a lot of giant aroid called Cyrtosperma ferox and underneath it is covered by a big clump of aquatic aroid called Cryptocoryne longicauda.

Big aroid, Cyrtosperma ferox




Cryptocoryne longicauda growing near the big aroid, Cyrtosperma ferox in the swamp:





Close-up of Cryptocoryne longicauda:







....TO BE CONTINUED.

[kuching]

Before the sunset, I went to revisit the habitat of Cryptocoryne pallidinervia. The water level was very high, more than 30cm higher than the water level during my last visit about 6 months ago. All of them are submerged in the blackwater; none of them are flowering except producing the seed pods. The leaves are longer and light green colored. Good thing is that the population is bigger....they are flourished in the wet season.

The habitat:



The Crypt. is found submerged in the water:




The plant collected from stream:

[kuching]

The leaf:




Seed pod:




The evening scene of Sibu street after the rain:





The Catholic Cathedral in Sibu:





.....TO BE CONTINUED.

[blue33]

Lots of adventures and new thing waiting to be found.

[kuching]

Thanks blue33.

[kuching]

Then, the next day, I went to look for Crypt. yujii. Due to too much rainfall, all the rivers where I used to find this species are "disappeared" in the high water level. I traveled around the area & found a new location for yujii. It's found in a small river which is in the freshwater intertidal zone.


Submerged Crypt yujii:







Some are growing near the bank, in emersed condition:








The spathe

[kuching]

On the previous day, I went to look for a variable of Crypt. striolata in a jungle stream near Sarikei, but unfortunately, I couldn't find it due to the water was too cloudy after the rainfall.

The small waterfall











On the following day, I revisited a habitat of Crypt. striolata which the river was dried up during the last dry season. Now, it's full of water, but shallow. All the Crypt. are growing well. None of them died during the river was dried up cod it was covered under the shade of big trees there.

The habitat

[kuching]

Underwater shot:




Close-up :







Video (taken using my Canon poweshot D10):

YouTube- Cryptocoryne striolata in its natural habitat (near Julau)

[kuching]

On the way back home, I stopped my car at the roadside to check up the habitat of Crypt. auriculata.

The habitat:






I was "greeted" by a small snake at the edge of the stream. It is a painted mock viper (Psammodynastes pictus).





The mock viper and Crypt. auriculata: