# Anubias sp. var. 'bonsai'



## KittyKat (Apr 18, 2006)

Hi, does anyone here know anything about the origin of _Anubias_ sp. var. 'bonsai'? It is sometimes listed as _A. barteri_ var. 'bonsai', is it really a cultivar of _A. barteri_?


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

I've already bought 2 species of Anubias var. 'bonsai'. One turned out exactly like Anubias nana 'petite'. The other was also smaller than the normal Anubias nana but bigger than 'petite' and this one has a little less heartshaped leaves but more like the leaves of Anubias angustifolia. If Anubias nana 'petit' is a barteri, than this probably is also but there are different versions sold as bonsai.


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## Gordonrichards (Apr 28, 2009)

There are a few different petites in the market. True petite have leaves the size of a pencil eraser. Aside from those variants others exist with leaves .5 inch to .75 inch in length. Some variants will have leaves that get to about 1 inch in length.










This is what a true petite looks like.

-Gordon


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## UltraBlue (Mar 8, 2011)

Are you sure those are true variants and not just plants grown under different conditions and of different health?


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Gordonrichards said:


> True petite have leaves the size of a pencil eraser.


That's interesting. Also in Germany there are different "Bonsais/Petites" in the trade. But seemingly all with at least ca. 1 inch long leaves on older plants. Ones from in-vitro propagation may have such tiny leaves first, but get considerably bigger by and by under good conditions.
Does Your true petite keep these small leaves also in the long run?


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

_A rose by any other name..._ Having had petites for many years, I can tell you they will look different under different conditions. IMO, all the different names are hair splitting.


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## K Randall (Nov 23, 2004)

'Petite' and 'Bonsai' are the names given by two different European plant growers who introduced the plant at about the same time. 'Petite' made it to the U.S. first, which is why that name is more common here. They are the same plant.

It is somewhat unclear where exactly the original material was collected, but it is considered a local variant, not a cultivar. All you have to do is looks at the wide variety of leaf shapes found in normal sized A. barteri to see that these plants are quite variable and very plastic. It's not surprising that this small variant does the same thing.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

It is necessary to mention that there are 2 mutation types realized in plants selection. Quite weak exposure, for example, of ultraviolet irradiation or of various chemical mutagens causes plastid mutations. They lead to colour change (this will be discussed for the next time). Some serious changes in plants size are possible only if there are genetic disorders inside of a cell nucleus that emerge in case of stronger external exposure - gamma-irradiation. Dwarfish sorts of Anubias, for example, 'Petite', 'Bonsai', 'Gabon' and others were bred by this very method. Each kind is individual as it is obtained in the course of a unique single experiment. Further reproduction is effected in a vegetative way with the use of tissue cultures. That is why all the disputes of aquarians whether 'Petite' tells from 'Bonsai' or not - are quite absurd. Despite a big similarity of appearance they are likely to be different plants, experimental conditions of their breeding are just similar. 
http://anubias-engl.blogspot.com/


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## Vadim S (Nov 16, 2008)

BruceF said:


> Dwarfish sorts of Anubias, for example, 'Petite', 'Bonsai', 'Gabon' and others were bred by this very method.


are you sure about 'Gabon'?


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

@Vadim:
BruceF's posting is a quote from the anubias-engl.blogspot.com site - but not marked as quote.


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## Vadim S (Nov 16, 2008)

Thanks Heiko, now I understand. The data in the article no more than speculation. There is evidence that the small Anubias sp. Gabon has collected in the wild. 
By the way, should be considered the Anubias barteri var. nana "Bonzai" from "Aquafleur", which is well distinguished by the size and shape of the "Petite".


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