Anubias barteri var. nana was first described by Adolf Engler in 1899 as A. nana. The species was reduced to varietal status in 1979.This plant's thick short-stemmed dark green leaves are some of the smallest and most compact in the Anubias genus, growing only to 3.2 inches (8 cm) for a total height of 4.7 inches (12 cm).