Anubias afzelii
Schott (1857)
Family: Araceae. Synonyms: None.
Etymology: Anubias: after the Egyptian god Anubias; afzelii: after the Swedish botanist Adam Afzelius (1750-1837). Distribution: Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mali.
Description: Robust marsh plant with a creeping, one 1-m long and up to 4-cm thick •rhizome. Petiole up to 70 cm long, about 8-15 mm thick, sheathed. Geniculum up to 3 cm long. Blade entire, leathery, lanceolate-narrow ovoid to elliptic, up to 44 cm long and 18 cm wide, glabrous or underside with little pubescence. Apex aciculate or obtuse; base narrowed, obtuse or truncate. Margin smooth. Coloration light to dark green, young leaves occasionally also colored reddish brown.
Peduncle up to 35 cm long. Spathe erect, fleshy, narrow ovoid to lanceolate, mucro-nate, up to 9 cm long, green; on maturity opened a little to semiopen for several hours, rarely entirely open. Spadix up to 12 cm long, with about one-third of the male segment extending outward from the spathe; 5-6 ad-nate stamens; thecae located on the side of the synandrium. Infructescence dense with 4-8 x 2-mm large irregular berries. Berry with 4-17, in ripe condition brown, up to 2.5 x 1.5-mm large seeds.
Culture: Anubias afzelii is a sturdy marsh plant which reaches a height of up to 1 m in both its natural location as well as in the greenhouse, but which usually remains smaller. Cultivation in a spacious paludarium is unproblematic; the rhizome can be inserted into the substrate of the water section and the leaves let to grow out of the water (semiaqua-tic cultivation), or the plants may be cultivated entirely emersed. High humidity and repeated spraying are advantageous for good growth. This plant grows very slowly in the aquarium but is perennial and,, from all larger Anubias varieties, is the most suitable for submersed cultivation. Most suited for planting are smaller specimens of 10-20 cm in height, which can be better adapted to submersed culture than larger plants. The optimum temperature range is 22-26 °C. Young specimens, propagated from seeds, can also be used. The light requirements of A. afzelii are low. Soft to medium-hard water is recommended. The quickest propagation is achieved through rhizome partitioning. Sexual reproduction through seeds is also possible. The seeds germinate quickly, but it will take at least 6 months before the young plants will have reached a size of 5-10 cm. Ecology: Anubias afzelii grows in its natural location as a marsh plant, mostly on river-banks and streams. The author found the species in Senegal (near Kounkane), growing in dense populations on both the banks of a dry Tiver in deep shade, and also several meters from the river in bright sunlight and very dry soil (see photo) where the plants formed magnificent communities.
Other: The species also often produces seeds through self-pollination.
- Anubias afzelii in its habitat near Kounkané.
Anubias barteri Schott var. barteri (1860)
Family: Araceae. Synonyms: None.
Etymology: Anubias: see A. afzeliv, barteri: after the collector Charles Barter. Distribution: Southeast Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko). Description: Marsh plant, up to 40 cm in height. Rhizome about 0.5-1 cm thick. Petiole up to 30 cm long, sheathed. Geniculum up to 1.5 cm long. Leaf blade lanceolate to narrow ovoid, usually up to 15 x 7 cm in size, leathery, medium to dark green. Apex acute; base round or slightly cordate. Margin often undulate. Peduncle 5-40 cm. Spathe opened wide on maturity, recurved, later closed, 1.5-6 cm long. Spadix 1.5-7 cm long; 3-6(—8) adnate stamens; thecae lateral on the syn-andrium. Berries flat-globular; seeds 0.5-1 x 0.4-0.8 mm in size.
Culture: Anubias barteri var. barteri is— like the other varieties of this species—a slow-growing, highly recommended marsh plant with a good capability to adapt to submersed living conditions. The culture is possible in both soft and hard water. As with
Emersed plants of Anubias barteri var. barteri.
all Anubias, too strong lighting should be avoided. The rhizome can either be inserted into sand or coarse-grained substrate or be attached to decorative material for the purpose of greening the aquarium. Due to its leathery leaves, which generally remain untouched by cichlids, A. barteri varieties are especially recommended for the decoration of cichlid aquariums. Optimum temperature range is 22-26 °C. Anubias barteri is a good paludarium plant.
Ecology: The Anubias barteri varieties populate shady or semishaded locations in fast-flowing waterways in which they occur emersed or semiaquatic and only occasionally entirely submersed. The populations often grow on stones or logs, rarely in the substrate.
Other: One growth form is available under the name of Anubias "coffeefolia." Its petioles and young leaves are often brownish in color and the leaf blades are slightly bullate. Further reading: Crusio (1979, 1987).
Emersed plants of Anubias barteri var. barteri.
Anubias barteri
Schott var. angustifolia (Engler) Crusio (1979)
Family: Araceae.
Synonyms: Anubias lanceolata f. angustifolia Engler (1915).
Etymology: Anubias: see Anubias afzeliv, barteri: see var. barteri; angustifolia: narrow-leafed.
Distribution: Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon.
Description: Marsh plant with a creeping rhizome. Leaves emersed up to 10 cm, submersed up to 25 cm long petiolate, sheated. Geniculum about 1 cm long. Leaf blade linear to very narrow elliptic, emersed 10-30 cm long and 1.5-4 cm wide, leathery, deep dark green in color, submersed about 15 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, medium green, often with a reddish brown petiole. Apex acute to cuspidate, base decurrent. Margin not undulate.
Flower description: see Anubias barteri var. barteri.
Culture: An unproblematic, slow-growing marsh plant, A. barteri commercial availability is relatively limited. Despite the slow growth, this variety is highly recommended for cultivation within an aquarium because it adapts without any problems to different water values. For optimum growth, a medium-level light intensity is adequate. Within the aquarium, Anubias barteri var. angustifolia usually does not grow more than 10-15 cm; it may, however, reach a respectable height of up to 40 cm. Its use. depending on the size of the tank, is therefore recommended for the central to rear planting area. As with other A. barteri varieties, var. angustifolia is excellently suited for cultivation in cichlid aquariums as well as a paludarium plant. Temperature range is 22-26 °C. Propagation is through rhizome partition. For more data on cultivation refer to var. barteri and var. nana. Ecology: Nothing is known to the author on the specific ecology of this plant but its ecological requirements are probably similar to other varieties.
Other: Distinguishing the plant from other Anubias barteri varieties is easily possible, due to the linear to narrow elliptic leaf blades.
Anubias barteri
Schott var. caladiifolia Engler (1915) Family: Araceae.
Etymology: Anubias: see Anubias afzelii; barteri: see var. barteri; caladiifolia: Caladium-leaved, refers to the species Caladium. Distribution: Southeast Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko). Description: Sturdy marsh plant with a creeping up to 2-cm thick rhizome. Petiole up to 40(-54) cm long, up to 4 mm thick, sheathed, geniculum up to 2 cm long. Leaf blade lanceolate-narrow ovoid to ovoid, up to 24 x 16 cm in size, leathery, light to dark green. Apex obtuse or acute; base truncated or slightly cordate at first, in larger leaves cordate. Margin usually not or only just slightly undulate.
Flower description: see A. barteri var. barteri.
Culture: Of all varieties within this species, A. barteri var. caladiifolia will grow the largest. It is especially recommended for emersed cultivation in paludariums where leaves with a cordate blade base will form. Although cultivation in the aquarium is not difficult, growth is slower and the plants generally re main smaller in size. This variety will prosper in soft as well as hard water, but the optimum is maintenance in a soft, slightly acid environment. Its use is recommended only for very high aquariums. This variety is especially suitable for cichlid aquariums. Optimum temperature range is 22-26 °C. Ecology: In their natural location, one will often find these plants semiaquatic in large populations in fast-flowing waters, at water falls, but also on the edges of flowing waters in the substrate or on stones; only rarely does one find totally submersed specimens, which will then be only small-growing. The variety will prosper both in full sunlight and in shade. In its natural location in Cameroon (Limbe, see photo p. 79) the author recorded the following water values: 25°C,'pH 7.8, GH 4.5 °dH, KH 3.5 °dH, 22 |xS/cm, Fe2+/Fe3+ not detectable. Inflorescences and infructes-cences could be found only in isolated cases during the month of February.
Anubias barteri var. caladiifolia in its native habitat in Cameroon (Limbe).
Anubias barteri var. caladiifolia in its native habitat in Cameroon (Limbe).
Anubias barteri
Schott var. glabra N.E. Brown (1901) Family: Araceae.
Synonyms: A. lanceolata N.E. Brown (1901), A. minima Chevalier.
Etymology: Anubias: see A. afzeliv, barteri: see var. barteri; glabra: glabrous. Distribution: Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko), Gabon, Congo.
Description: Marsh plant with a creeping, up to 8-mm thick rhizome. Petiole up to 35 cm long, 2-3 mm thick, sheathed. Geniculum up to 2 cm long. Leaf blade very narrow elliptic to lanceolate-narrow ovoid, up to 23 cm long and 9 cm wide, usually much smaller in an aquarium, leathery, medium to dark green in color. Apex acute or cuspidate; base obtuse, truncated or slightly cordate. Margin usually slightly undulate.
Flower description: see A. barteri var. barteri.
Culture: In the aquarium A. barteri var. glabra grows relatively slowly, but is nevertheless a well-growing perennial plant. The specimens can grow without additional water movement, but a certain level of water cir culation seems advantageous for optimum growth. Moderate lighting is quite sufficient. A slightly acid, soft to medium-hard water with temperatures between 22-26 °C is recommended for cultivation. In submersed conditions, this variety usually remains low in height, whereas plants in emersed cultivation can reach a height of about 60 cm. For its use refer to Anubias barteri var. barteri and var. nana.
Ecology: The author recorded the following data at two locations in Cameroon: 24/30 °C, pH 5.5/5.9, GH < 1 °dH, KH < 0.1 °dH, 40 (xS/cm, Fe2+/Fe3+ not detectable. Dense populations of Anubias barteri var. glabra can be found equally both in deep shade or in full sunlight. The plants are often attached quite firmly to rocks lying in the water (see photo p. 80) or grow only with rhizome in the water. They can, however, also be located entirely emersed only in moist substrate. During February pupas of flies were often discovered in the numerous inflorescences and infructes-cences.
Anubias barteri var. glabra in its natural location in Cameroon.
Anubias barteri var. glabra in its natural location in Cameroon.
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