The name Cryptocoryne is a funny-sounding name for a group of plants that have been popular in the aquarium hobby for decades. The word comes from the Greek word krypto, meaning hidden, and koryne, meaning stick, referring to the hidden (by the basal wall) spadix (an inflorescence, or a cluster of flowers on a stem, where the small flowers are crowded on a thickened, fleshy axis) in the flower structure. There are 58 recognized species and of these less than a dozen are suitable for the aquarium. Of those suitable species, there are several cultivated variations (known as cultivars) that produce different leaf colors and shapes, and there are regional habitat variations of species as well.
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