The story begins back in 1978 when Dr Neils together with  Josef Bogner visited Henry Ong in Kuching, he one day received notice that a “bullosa” was found near Bau. They went there but it had just rained so it was impossible to go into the river and did not get the plant when they were in Sarawak in 1978. After the visit, Henry sent Dr. Neils a package with the “bullosa” from the new locality but no spathes. He subsequently counted the chromosomes on all accessions and proved that the “new bullosa” from Bau had a chromosome number of 2n = 20 – just like C. striolata, while the true bullosa from the Sibu region had 2n = 34. So the “Bau-bullosa” had to be a new species. Later on Henry Ong went to find flowering plants which he sent to him, and this material is the type material from Cryptocoryne keei (named after Henry Ong Kee Chuan). The end. – Sources from Dr Neils.

It could be the cross between striolata and ferruginea? Only God’s know. But today both species are still surviving there in the wild although it’s known to be treated frequently in the market. C. keei is no easy plant to keep and so do striolata, its melt easily in different water parameters.

We visited the location recently and this was the first scene we saw.

Construction work was on-going and a portion of the river’s bank was dug up, many of the crypts were buried alive! But all is not lost, at least whatever beyond the construction is still intact.

Life goes on despite the tragedy…here come the flowers.

Another location, I’ve been told by Dr. Neils that this could be original location where Henry Ong was first encountered the crypts.

Some crypts are rooted on the rock.