Josef Bogner of the Munich Botanic Gardens is a leading name in aroid research, having described at least 54 new species from all over the world and published over a dozen papers on Cryptocorynes. C. bogneri is named after its discoverer, who first came across the plant in the rainforests of southwest Sri Lanka in 1973.

A threatened species due to disturbance or destruction of its habitats, C. bogneri exists in very few localities. The plant closely resembles C. alba and C. thwaitesii, which grow in the same region, and is reliably identified only by the inflorescence, which is collarless and has a light yellow throat and limb with a warty margin. The length of the tube is highly variable. Found in stream beds in deep shade, this is not a species recommended for aquaria, although submersed cultivation is said to be possible in very soft, acidic water..