AQUATIC HORTICULTURE		BY KAREN RANDALL

KAREN RANDALL

Anubias barter var. caladiifolia

Anubias barteri
Family: Aracea

In the wild, Anubias grow on the edges of streams and rivers, often with their roots firmly anchored around rocks, boulders and fallen logs. They are found in wet, shady, forest areas, frequently completely emersed, other times submerged. Even in the wild, some species are very variable and commercial aquarium plant growers have produced even more varieties. Add to this the fact that culture conditions can greatly affect the appearance of the plants and it is easy to see why identification can be difficult at times.

Not all species of Anubias are currently available in the hobby, and, for that matter, not all are suitable as aquarium plants because some get much too large for the average tank. To make things more confusing, a number of commercially available Anubias are not different species, but varieties, and some species names still currently in use are obsolete or just incorrect.

KAREN RANDALL

What follows are descriptions of the plants in the Anubias barteri complex that are likely to be available commercially, as well as some of the commercial names that are currently being used. It is my hope that with the help of this article, you will be able to make a better stab at identifying the plants in your tank. If your plant does not exactly conform to any of these descriptions, remember that it is not necessary to be able to positively identify your plant to be able to enjoy it for the wonderful aquarium plant it is!

One more tip when it comes to Anubias identification is to pay close attention to the ratio of leaf width to length and of leaf size to length of petiole. While the size of the plant is very dependent on growing conditions, these ratios remain relatively stable.

Anubias barteri Schott

Most of the Anubias available in the hobby belong to this extremely variable species, which has been found in many countries in tropical west Africa. It is probably the most vigorous species and one of the smallest. It is hardy to the point of being almost indestructible. I’ve heard it jokingly described as the “plastic plant that grows.”

The varieties of this species flower quite freely under good aquarium conditions, and the attractive Calla lily-shaped white flowers can last as long as a couple of months. This is the species from which most of the cultivated varieties available commercially have come.

KAREN RANDALL

Probably the most often encountered variety is A. barteri var. nana from Cameroon. This diminutive variety has pretty, bright-green, broadly ovate leaves on short petioles. It has been found growing wild in at least two locations in Cameroon. While it grows in typical Anubias fashion, with the roots branching down from the rhizome, the whole plant is small enough that this feature is not as noticeable as it is on larger varieties. Typically, nana leaves are about 2 1/2 inches long and the plant stands no more than about 5inches tall.

The variety is so tough that I’ve seen plants under adverse conditions turn into “bonsai” Anubias, with leaves as small as 1/8 inch, but still look vigorous and green. When these plants were placed back in a tank with good conditions, they grew back to normal size within a year. A man-made variegated form of nana is sometimes available, although the white markings tend to fade under aquarium conditions.

There is often confusion between the smaller forms of Anubias barteri var. barteri and Anubias barteri var. nana. The true nana has very short petioles and the rhizome stays much closer to the substrate than other Anubias. To confuse matters more, another small cultivar have been showing up on sales lists recently. This plant is being sold under the name “pygmy Anubias” or Anubias sp. “pygmy.” Neither is a valid scientific name, and, from what I’ve seen, I believe the plant to be a slightly smaller variety of the true A. b. var. nana. It remains to be seen if these plants will remain true to form in the aquarium or if they are simply plants that have been stunted to produce smaller growth.

Anubias barteri var. barteri (Engler) Crusio is similar in looks to A. barteri var. nana, but can, on occasion, grow up to 18 inches tall, although most specimens are quite a bit smaller. It can be found in the wild in southern Nigeria, Cameroon and Guinea. The cultivated plant tends to be a little lighter in color than nana and about twice the size, making it still a useful plant in the smaller tank.

KAREN RANDALL

Besides the size difference, there are other noticeable differences between these two plants. One is the length of the petiole in comparison to leaf size. In nana, the petiole is rarely more than half as long as the leaf, while in barteri it is about 1 1/2 times the length of the leaf. A. b. var. barteri also holds its rhizome up higher off the substrate, giving it its typical Anubias “spidery” look. There is now a variegated variety of A. b. var. barteri under commercial cultivation as well.

Anubias barteri var. angustifolia (Engler) Crusio is a very different looking plant from the former two varieties. This plant was described in 1915 by Engler as Anubias lanceolata, but is now recognized as a variety of A. barteri. It is found in Guinea, Liberia and Cameroon. It is still often sold in the hobby as A. lanceolata and is another of the more commonly available varieties.

As its old name implies, this plant has lanceolate leaves, up to 7 inches long, on a 12-inch petiole. The leaves are five to nine times as long as they are broad. As it is quite a large plant, it is best suited to the medium- to large-size tank, but is otherwise as undemanding as the other varieties of barteri.

Anubias barteri var. caladiifolia Engler is usually sold as simply “'Anubias caladiifolia” in the trade. It is a wild occuring variety that is found in Nigeria, Cameroon and Guinea. This is one of the larger varieties. With leaves up to 9 inches long and half as wide on petioles up to 21 inches, it is a pretty big plant. Add the fact that its roots make a pretty impressive set of “stilts” below the rhizome and it becomes clear that the plant is most suitable for larger tanks. Even within the variety this plant is quite variable. I have one specimen that is shorter, with almost smooth leaves, and another that is very tall, with deep grooves along the vein lines.

Anubias barteri var. coffeefolia is a naturally occuring variety that is very beautiful and usually quite expensive. It is native to Liberia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Guinea, Gabon and the Congo. It is shorter than var. caladiifolia, in part because of its more spreading, less upright habit. While the leaves are large, the habit of the entire plant is to stay lower, making it suitable for large or small tanks. The leaves are a dark, very glossy fir-tree green, while the new leaves and petioles are a striking wine red color. The veins are so deeply indented that the leaves look almost like large “Ruffles”" potato chips. This striking plant is well worth the premium price it commands.