Petite Anubias

Anubias barteri var. nana 'Petite' is the smallest known form of Anubias, sold under the two trade names 'Petite' and 'Bonsai'. Its origin is not fully settled: one Dennerle import has been linked to Cameroon, Tropica attributes the form to a mutation raised at Singapore's Oriental Aquaria, and Christel Kasselmann treats it simply as the smallest form of var. nana. Submersed it grows extremely slowly, forming compact creeping rhizomes with leaves only about a centimetre long, and it stays small even under strong light, reaching only about 3 to 6 cm in height. That miniature scale makes it a prized accent for nano tanks and foreground hardscape, bound to rock or wood as an epiphyte. Like all nana forms it is easy and undemanding, and a moderate CO2 supply is optional. It does best in temperatures of 22 to 26 °C with a pH of 5 to 8, and its carbonate hardness range extends to about 21 °dKH, so it also copes with fairly hard water.