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Strange pattern on Bucephalandra leaf

oviparous

oviparous

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Joined
9 Mar 2015
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37
Just wanted to share some pictures of a strange pattern that has developed on a leaf of Bucephalandra "Elegant blue". It was there from the beginning, and now a few months later is still there.
Anybody know the science and reason behind this fault of nature?
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All plants can develop this. It is usually a lack of chlorophyll. It is popular called 'variegata', and is usually not a stabil appearanve. In some cases it will stay, though - this is the case in some strains of Ficus benjamina, just to mention one.
 
Lots of things can cause such a change - vira is a possibility, yes.
Good news is, it is not contageous......
 
I see the lack of chlorophyll but can't stop looking at your white anubis... 😉
 
HOT D#$N!!! That's the most healthy specimen I've ever seen!!!
 
Be sure to leave (=not cut off) at least some of the "green-er" leaves on your Anubias 'variegata'. Those are the ones "feeding" the plant, since the white parts can't do photosynthesis.
The 'variegata' forms of Anubias seem to be even more prone to green spot algae, than the standard Anubias, by the way........
 
Mick.Dk said:
Be sure to leave (=not cut off) at least some of the "green-er" leaves on your Anubias 'variegata'. Those are the ones "feeding" the plant, since the white parts can't do photosynthesis.
The 'variegata' forms of Anubias seem to be even more prone to green spot algae, than the standard Anubias, by the way........
Click to expand...
In fact, this is the most algae free white anubia white I've ever seen.

I looked to buy some in Australia but the speciments were $100 for about 4 leaves but two had GSA so I couldn't bring myself to pay that much. I wasn't confident that I could grow them algae free either.
 
Mick.Dk said:
Be sure to leave (=not cut off) at least some of the "green-er" leaves on your Anubias 'variegata'. Those are the ones "feeding" the plant, since the white parts can't do photosynthesis.
The 'variegata' forms of Anubias seem to be even more prone to green spot algae, than the standard Anubias, by the way........
Click to expand...
As the plant grows and puts out new leaves, the older leafs usually turn more green. Guess that is a survival strategy because otherwise, as you say, it can hardly do fotosynthese.
The more light it gets, the more white the plant stays. The ones in the shade have more green leaves than white ones. But as you say, algae can be a problem with this plant. That's why i rotate them around the aquarium every few weeks, I do the same with some Bucephalandra sp. This way they have periods with high and low light and won't be prone to algae to much while still having enough white leaves.. They seem to enjoy this regime.

When they start looking like this i put them back in the shade.
As you can see the leaves start curling, and i guess that's a sign of too much light. This one always has less white leaves than the other ones.
Tma0u5v.jpg

rebel said:
I looked to buy some in Australia but the speciments were $100 for about 4 leaves but two had GSA so I couldn't bring myself to pay that much. I wasn't confident that I could grow them algae free either.
Click to expand...
Ouch, that's a lot of cash! I payed 1/10 of that per plant. Sadly a few of them melted after a few weeks, the famous Anubias melt...
 
Sounds like you have it all very well under control.
For what it's worth, your "type" of Anubias 'variegata' is in my experience one of the more stable ones (= it will keep growing spotted leaves).
 
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