# General > Events, field trips and gatherings >  Visit the Cryptocoryne habitats in Peninsular Malaysia

## kuching

July 15, 2010. I was tired of the office job, so I bought a cheap airticket and flew to KL city of Peninsular Malaysia. The following day, 2 of my friends brought me to visit some habitats of Cryptocoryne in Pahang state of Malaysia.


Peninsular Malaysia.....heaven on earth!!!






About 9am, we stopped our car next to a jungle stream. We saw Crypt. cordata var. cordata in the stream:








This species is common in Peninsular Malaysia.




The substrate is sand, clay & silt.

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## Craykeeper

Michael,nice work! Any chance of some clear water for underwaterpics??
Cheers
Chris

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## kuching

Thanks Chris.....I didn't take any underwater shots during this trip. 

More pictures coming up soon.

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## kuching

After that, we went to explore a very large area of southern Pahang.....most of the places already become oil palm plantation. We found nothing for almost the whole day!

A beautiful river but no Crypt.







Then, we went to a peat swamp not far from the beach. No Crypt. there but found some interesting fish in the dried up swamp.

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## kuching

The fish population here is too low. Only caught a few _Betta tussyae_ & forest walking catfish (_Clarias_ sp.) ....




And land crab....




And beautiful lizard from the coast....





Later, my friends brought me to a swampy forest where they found Crypt. nurii. When we're there, they shocked to see the logging company is starting to clear the lowland forest in this area.....

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## kuching

_Crypt. nurii_ here is a swamp type. The leaf looks a bit like _Crypt. cordata_.....different from _Crypt nurii_ found in the streams & rivers.





















TO BE CONTINUED....

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## kuching

The following day, my another group of friends brought me to explore a secret garden near central part of Peninsular Malaysia. The scenery there is breathtaking, like a paradise on earth.



There is no _Crypt_. found in this river.









A dead fish.

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## kuching

On the way back, I asked my friends to stop at a picnic spot near KL city. According to some info, there is a patch of _Crypt. affinis_ growing on the top of a waterfall. I never found Cryptocoryne grows in the waterfall area, so I must try to find it before dark.



There are a few waterfalls & cascades in that area....




I failed to find it in the upper part of the river because it's getting dark. Before going back, I saw something on the rock next to a pool......and it's _Crypt affinis_!!




Wow! First time in my life seeing the Cryptocoryne on the top of waterfall!!! I was pretty excited to see it there!











The pool next to a cascade.....where I found Crypt. affinis. There are more plants growing under the water but I didn't have time to photohgraph them....






....TO BE CONTINUED.

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## Javanus

Hi Michael, I am a fan of your blog site 'Heaven on Earth'. Thank you very much for sharing your expeditions/trips. I am looking forward to the sequel of this thread.

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## kuching

Welcome Javanus...

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## cdckjn

Cool! It is nice to know that there are such places near Singapore. (KL is not too far). But I wonder if we can still find places like this in Singapore. (Ha Ha - just a thought though it may be wishful thinking).

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## kuching

> Cool! It is nice to know that there are such places near Singapore. (KL is not too far). But I wonder if we can still find places like this in Singapore. (Ha Ha - just a thought though it may be wishful thinking).


Yes, It is Johor.

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## kuching

On the last day in KL, before going to airport, I asked my another 2 friends to bring me to re-visit a habitat of _Crypt. minima_. When we reached there, my friends were shocked to see the undisturbed lowland forest so near to concrete city (KL).


The pool.








_Crypt. minima_ growing in the shallow part of the pool:

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## kuching

There is a jungle stream next to the pool which is under the deep shade of forest canopy, the Crypt. is much smaller compared to those growing in the pool, under indirect or direct sunlight.









_Barclaya motleyi_ is growing abundantly here.





I'll continue this thread when I return to Peninsular Malaysia in November.

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## kenny

Thanks for another interesting thread! 
Are these places easy to access? Or need to walk for hours to reach?

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## kuching

> Thanks for another interesting thread! 
> Are these places easy to access? Or need to walk for hours to reach?


Not really. Those places are hidden. Without the help (guide) from my friends in KL, I won't be able to find those places.

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## cdckjn

Next time, if you are going again, you can call on us, I guess it will be fun if we can go together. We can have a few cars to drive up.

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## kuching

Ok, thanks...

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## kuching

End of October 2010, I returned to Peninsular Malaysia....this was the worst trip I ever had. A lot of habitats of _Cryptocoryne_ are either destroyed or degraded. 

The habitat (swamp) of a rare variety of _Crypt. nurii_ is gone. They are now clearing the forest for oil palm:











_Crypt. schulzei_ in other habitat:














.... to be continued.

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## kuching

Just came back from northern Peninsular Malaysia few days ago.

Here, I want to show you the beautiful Crypt. from northern Peninsular Malaysia: _Crypt. cordata_ var. _cordata_ "siamensis":


The spathe is glossy, narrow & dark golden colored:




It is growing in under the big tree in a sandy river. Without the tree roots, the Crypt. will be swept away by fast & strong current:










....to be continued.

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## kuching

Thanks to my friends for bringing me to some secret locations of Cryptocoryne in West Malaysia last weekend. First location is the rare _Crypt_. X_purpurea_ (natural hybrid species):





Some leaves are brownish:




Some, green colored:






And 1 got yellow lined leaves:

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## kuching

The habitat in the swamp:








Not far away, another location of the same species is destroyed cos of some people cleared the swamp. The Crypt. is still can survive even it is under the direct sunlight cos the soil is wet:




This Crypt. is very hardy! Can grow well in hot & dry condition (wet soil):

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## David Moses Heng

Any chance of harvesting them for cultivation before they disappear totally?

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## kuching

> Any chance of harvesting them for cultivation before they disappear totally?


My friends & I keep them in cultivation so that it won't disappeared forever.

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## nezs

nice. do you open shop in kch

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## nezs

is there any good shop in jb show aquascaping. want to learn

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## keithtang

Very sad, alot of places are open up for plantation. Beautiful plants,animals,birds....almost all wipe out..

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## David Moses Heng

> My friends & I keep them in cultivation so that it won't disappeared forever.



Thank you Michael. Now I know who can I turn to and where can I show my children a piece of legacy...

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## David Moses Heng

> Very sad, alot of places are open up for plantation. Beautiful plants,animals,birds....almost all wipe out..



All this can only stop when human is no longer driven by greed.... BUT sadly that may never happen...

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## Yany

Kuching,

I've been browsing the the threads you have posted and enjoyed immensely all the photographs of plants in their natural habitat. I am M'sian and I think its so important to have conservations to protect them from disappearing all together. Although I also understand the need land for farming/plantation I do hope the government could step in and allocate the plots of land. Before clearing, relevant authorities can harvest and cultivate the native fauna to prevent them disappearing forever. 

Kudos to you for cultivating some of them!

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## kuching

Thanks all for viewing my post.

Sharing some shots taken in Melaka in July/Aug. 2011:

_Crypt. cordata_ from Melaka:





Submerged plants:



Seed pod:




Emersed plants;




Habitat:

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