Plant ID requests

[Scapexghost]

Pretty sure one's some type of crypt. The lfs said the rest were a type of hygro, but i forget which one. Also i though hygros were stem plants, and these don't appear to be. Also, any tips on said plants (foreground/midground/background, high/medium/low light, etc.) is highly appreciated.

[Gator]

@Scapexghost; The plants in your photos do look like a species of Crypt, but I don't see anything that says Hygrophila. To the best of my knowledge, there are only 3 species of Hygrophila; the H. corymbosa, the H. difformis, and the H. polysperma. I've had all three at one time, and I still have the difformis and the polysperma which I think look better than the corymbosa. They're all background plants as they will grow tall, and the two species I have are great oxygenators.

[Odd Duck]

Those all look like the same species of Crypt to me.  Which one is definitely a guessing game since they can have quite different appearance depending on growing conditions.  This one doesn’t make a species or variety jump to mind for me.  Someone else may have further thoughts on it.

Maybe after it settles in to your tank and has new leaves growing, we can make a stab at guessing a species or variety.  Seems like I should remember a crypt that has noticeably darker stems with green leaves.  Maybe ‘Tropica’ or C. nurii?

 

[Scapexghost]

On 11/18/2021 at 12:28 AM, Odd Duck said:

Those all look like the same species of Crypt to me.  Which one is definitely a guessing game since they can have quite different appearance depending on growing conditions.  This one doesn’t make a species or variety jump to mind for me.  Someone else may have further thoughts on it.

Maybe after it settles in to your tank and has new leaves growing, we can make a stab at guessing a species or variety.  Seems like I should remember a crypt that has noticeably darker stems with green leaves.  Maybe ‘Tropica’ or C. nurii?

 

I suppose it makes sense that they are the same species of crypt, as i bought them from the same lfs, albeit almost 3 months apart. The first bundle i bought weren't labeled, and the second were labeled as hygrophilia something. 

[Odd Duck]

On 11/18/2021 at 2:12 AM, Scapexghost said:

I suppose it makes sense that they are the same species of crypt, as i bought them from the same lfs, albeit almost 3 months apart. The first bundle i bought weren't labeled, and the second were labeled as hygrophilia something. 

They definitely all look like Crypts of some kind.  Hygrophilas are stem plants, meaning they have central stems that grows up from the substrate from which the leaves sprout.

Crypts are technically a bulb plant (even though they don’t have much of a bulb) but their leaves sprout directly from a central base, they don’t get a central stem and have leaves that come off the side of the stem.

[Scapexghost]

On 11/18/2021 at 1:18 AM, Odd Duck said:

They definitely all look like Crypts of some kind.  Hygrophilas are stem plants, meaning they have central stems that grows up from the substrate from which the leaves sprout.

Crypts are technically a bulb plant (even though they don’t have much of a bulb) but their leaves sprout directly from a central base, they don’t get a central stem and have leaves that come off the side of the stem.

I knew about hygros being stem plants but i didn't know crypts were bulb plants. That explains the little brown thing at the base. Does that mean i should have the little bulb partially exposed like with other bulb plants?

[anewbie]

I don't believe crypts have bulb but rather a rhizome or at least a structure similar to a rhizome where the roots thicken and spread. It is this area that can be cut to split the plant into two. One thing to consider is most crypts sold are very young and are just basically roots and leaves but they change as they get much older (similar to java fern which after a while develop a very large strong rhizome).

Edited November 18, 2021 by anewbie

[Odd Duck]

On 11/18/2021 at 7:34 AM, anewbie said:

I don't believe crypts have bulb but rather a rhizome or at least a structure similar to a rhizome where the roots thicken and spread. It is this area that can be cut to split the plant into two. One thing to consider is most crypts sold are very young and are just basically roots and leaves but they change as they get much older (similar to java fern which after a while develop a very large strong rhizome).

You’re probably right.  I think I’ve heard it referred to as a bulb plant and as a rhizome, but neither completely makes sense to me with how it grows.  I guess rhizome makes more sense and Google searching does say rhizome.  I may also be doing old lady memory and accidentally making stuff up!  I try not to do that, but sometimes I misremember completely even though I think I remember it fine.  😝  In fact, I think I’ve read they can be treated like epiphytes and attached to wood/rock like Anubias, Buces, or ferns.  Rhizome makes even more sense with that.

@Scapexghost I plant them so the part where they change color and the leaf stems start to separate is right at the substrate surface.  I try to dig the roots in deep both to hold them down but also since I have dirt and Osmocote down below my sand cap.  Most aren’t crazy picky like epiphytes can be.

[Dawn T]

Definitely looks like my Cryptocoryne wendtii "bronze". Definitely not Hygophila.