TankBud

Aridarum Narrow

Aridarum sp. 'Narrow'

Also known as Aridarum sp. 'Long Leaf', Burttianthus veluntandrus, Aridarum velutandrum

FreshwaterRhizomeRhizome division

Aridarum Narrow (Aridarum sp. 'Narrow')
Buce Plant · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
5.9 in
15 cm
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Epiphyte
Type
Rhizome
pH
6.0–7.5
Spread
5.9 in (15 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Medium
Family
Araceae
Origin
Borneo (probably Sarawak, near Bintulu)

Overview

Aridarum Narrow is a slow-growing aroid with narrow leaves that lives on rock or wood. Buce Plant, Glass Aqua and PremiumBuces sell it for aquariums, and it is moderately demanding.

Did you know

Aridarum Narrow shifts color with light. Jungle Leaves reports light green leaves in bright light and dark green to almost black leaves in shade.

Caring for Aridarum Narrow

Glue or tie Aridarum Narrow to rock or wood, with the rhizome in open water. It is a low-light plant, and CO2 helps because it grows very slowly. It feeds through its roots and from the water, so a liquid fertilizer suits it.

It rarely needs trimming at that pace. To propagate it, cut the rhizome into pieces and fix each one to hardscape.

Keep it at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C), and hold the water chemistry and light steady. Sudden changes can start melt and rot. Jungle Leaves warns that it declines when kept fully underwater for long. A plant that keeps melting may do better in a humid paludarium or on a drip wall.

Good to know

Aridarum Narrow is a Bornean aroid in the family Araceae, sold under a trade name with no confirmed species. Its probable identity is Burttianthus veluntandrus, the name Jungle Leaves sells it under. Wong, Low and Boyce described that species from Sarawak in 2014 as Aridarum velutandrum. A 2018 revision moved it to Burttianthus. The dark green leaves are linear, up to about 15 cm long and 5 to 8 mm wide, on reddish stalks. Sabertooth and White Fang, sold as Aridarum caulescens, have much wider blades.

In the wild

Aridarum Narrow comes from Borneo, and the German nursery Jungle Leaves traces its plants to the Bintulu area of Sarawak. The species it probably belongs to, Burttianthus veluntandrus, is known in the wild only from Similajau National Park near Bintulu. It grows there on very hard sandstone along the Sungai Anchau, under humid lowland forest at 30 to 60 m. Jungle Leaves says the wild plants sit above water for most of the year.

Common questions

Does Aridarum Narrow need to be planted in the substrate?

No. Aridarum Narrow grows attached to rock or wood, so tie or glue the rhizome in place. If you plant its roots, keep the rhizome above the substrate, since a buried rhizome rots.

Does Aridarum Narrow need CO2?

No, but it helps. Aridarum Narrow can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does Aridarum Narrow need?

Aridarum Narrow is a low-light plant, and the light that comes with a standard tank kit is enough for it.

Does Aridarum Narrow need root tabs?

No. Aridarum Narrow feeds from the water, so a liquid fertilizer suits it better. Root tabs only help if its roots reach into the substrate.

How do you propagate Aridarum Narrow?

Aridarum Narrow propagates by rhizome division. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece.

How tall does Aridarum Narrow grow?

Aridarum Narrow grows to about 5.9 in (15 cm) tall. It grows slowly and rarely needs trimming.

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