Anubias

Scientific name

Anubias Schott

Common names

none

Family

Araceae

Similar genera

Aridarum, Bucephalandra, Lagenandra, Ooia, Peliosanthes, Piptospatha

Native distribution

West Africa

Species cultivated

Anubias afzelii Schott

A. barteri Schott

A. gigantea A. Chev.

A. gilletii De Wild. & T. Durand

A. gracilis A. Chev.

A. hastifolia Engl.

A. heterophylla Engl.

A. pynaertii de Wild.

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

emergent, amphibiousamphibious:
(adj) of a plant able to live on land or in water
, creeping, broad leaved plant

Brief description

Slow-growing perennialperennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
. Roots produced along creeping rhizomerhizome:
(n) an underground stem, usually growing horizontally, from which both roots and shoots emerge directly; the thick, above-ground stem of ferns
. Leaves alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
, petiolatepetiolate:
(adj) relating to or in the form of a petiole; bearing petioles
, sheathed basally; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
ovate to lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
, venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
with laterallateral:
(adj) on or pertaining to the side of an organ or structure
veins appearing parallel; base cordatecordate:
(adj) heart-shaped; in the form of two rounded lobes
to deeply sagittatesagittate:
(adj) shaped like an arrowhead
; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
or slightly undulateundulate:
(adj) (of, e.g., a margin) with a wavy surface; wavy in the vertical (up and down) plane
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
, subtended by a spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
; spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
convoluteconvolute:
(adj) rolled up or rolled together longitudinally, as leaves or petals in bud
, tubulartubular:
(adj) (of a corolla, perianth, calyx tube or other structure) (1) tube-shaped; cylindrical: narrow and elongate with more or less straight sides; (2) having segments fused into a tube (of any shape)
or open almost to base, not twisted; spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
of variable length. Flowers unisexualunisexual:
(adj) (of a flower) with either stamens (male) or pistils (female) but not both; consisting of only male or female flowers
; perianthperianth:
(n) collective term for the calyx and corolla of a flower; also used for floral whorl(s) in which the calyx and corolla cannot be resolved; any of the leaves or bracts surrounding the sex organs of bryophytes
absent. Dispersal by seed or stem fragments.

Natural habitat

marshes, stream and river banks, often shaded

Additional comments

Although eight species are recognized, there are numerous subspecies and cultivated varieties and hybrids available in the trade. Anubias barteri var. angustifolia (Engl.) W. Crusio has previously been sold as A. afzelii.