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Fittonia albivenis (Lindl. ex Veitch) Brummitt

Mosaic plant

Native records: 6 botanical areas

Bolivia, Brazil North, Colombia, 3 more areas

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Natural distribution

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NativeIntroducedUncertain

Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.

Last updated:

Distribution last verified:

See sources

Photograph of Fittonia albivenis

A creeping evergreen subshrub in the family Acanthaceae, native to the wet tropical biome of north-western South America. Leaves are covered in a striking network of white, silvery, pink or red veins — the 'mosaic' or 'nerve' pattern that gives the plant its common names. Widely grown worldwide as a houseplant for its decorative foliage.

Description

A low, creeping evergreen subshrub, typically 10–20 cm tall, forming mats on the humid forest floor. Stems are slender, pubescent, rooting at the nodes and freely branching. Leaves are opposite, ovate to elliptic, 5–10 cm long, dark olive-green, prominently reticulated with white, silvery, pink or red veins that create the characteristic mosaic pattern. Inflorescences are terminal spikes of small, inconspicuous brownish-green flowers enclosed in green bracts; cultivated plants are grown for foliage and the flowers are often removed by growers. Native to lowland and lower montane wet tropical forest in north-western South America. Requires high humidity (>70 %), warm temperatures (20–25 °C) and bright indirect light; wilts dramatically when dry but recovers quickly after watering. Numerous cultivars have been selected for vein colour, conventionally grouped as Argyroneura Group (silvery-white veins) and Verschaffeltii Group (red veins).

Habitat

Native to humid tropical forest in north-western South America — Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela and northern Brazil. Occurs on the floor of lowland to lower-montane rain forest, creeping over moist leaf-litter and rocks in shaded, humid sites. Requires year-round warmth (around 20–25 °C) and high humidity (>70 %); intolerant of direct sun and drought.

Distribution areas

  • Bangladesh

    • BangladeshIntroduced

  • Bolivia, Plurinational State of

    • BoliviaNative

  • Brazil

    • Brazil NorthNative

  • Colombia

    • ColombiaNative

  • Ecuador

    • EcuadorNative

  • El Salvador

    • El SalvadorIntroduced

  • Guam

    • MarianasIntroduced

  • Myanmar

    • MyanmarIntroduced

  • Northern Mariana Islands

    • MarianasIntroduced

  • Peru

    • PeruNative

  • Trinidad and Tobago

    • Trinidad-TobagoIntroduced

  • Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of

    • VenezuelaNative

Climate of the native range

The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.

  • Af Tropical, rainforest
  • Aw Tropical, savannah
  • Am Tropical, monsoon
  • ET Polar, tundra
  • Cfb Temperate, no dry season, warm summer

The same climate occurs in 153 areas worldwide, 143 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map

A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).

Recorded medicinal uses

The cited source records medicinal use of this plant. It is not an assessment of efficacy or safety.

  • Fittonia albivenis is recorded as used medicinally.

    Source location: p.399, right column, line 17

    World Checklist of Useful Plant Species · Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) · CC BY 4.0 · source version: wcups-2020-62602715

    Open source

Other names

Mosaic plant、Nerve plant、Painted net leaf、Silver-nerve plant

Family
Acanthaceae
Genus
Fittonia

Other species in Fittonia

Sources

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Bangladesh · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Bolivia, Plurinational State of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Brazil · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Colombia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Ecuador · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Guam · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Myanmar · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Northern Mariana Islands · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Peru · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    El Salvador · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Trinidad and Tobago · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

Image information

  • Photograph of Fittonia albivenis

    Louise Wolff -- darina 00:12, 7 May 2005 (UTC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · File page