Crypt sp. tries to flower immersed

[Chuck H <grendel at usit_net>]

I have a tank that is completely filled with a single species of 
Cryptocoryne.  This plant came in an "assorted crypts" package, so I'm 
unsure of its identity.  My feeling is that it is most likely a Sri Lanka 
variety.  It is hardy, grows like a weed, and is ~25-30cm tall on 
average.  Offsets generally come up around 8-15cm from the parent.  Leaves 
are narrow, lanceolate, undulate under moderate to high lighting, and are 
most attractive under moderate light where they adopt a copper hue accented 
with darker, relatively symmetrical "tiger" stripes in a vee shape along 
the center of the leaf.  In higher light the leaves are dark brown -- the 
previously mentioned vee's are still faintly visible -- with intense red on 
the underside.  In this manner, it is similar to C. becketti.  I'm moving 
some of these plants to emmerse culture soon for a shot at identification.

Not long ago, more out of necessity than design, I allowed nutrients to 
plummet to near zero.  I didn't do any water changes during this time and 
turned the CO2 and lighting down.  The results were predictable; all plants 
melted creating total devastation.  I was very busy with work and allowed 
the tank to remain in this condition for about a week.  Then, I removed all 
of the meltdown detritus, ran the diatom filter, and brought nutrients and 
lighting back to normal levels.  The response of the Crypt was 
phenomenal.  By the end of a two week period, the Crypt grove was growing 
in thicker than ever, completely obscuring the substrate.  But the most 
amazing thing is that one of the largest plants tried to flower 
immersed.  However, the spathe never matured and the inflorescence 
eventually melted within a few days of discovery.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with Crypts trying to flower 
immersed?  I hadn't realized such a thing was possible.
--
Chuck Huffine
Knoxville, Tennessee