Fittonia plants are sometimes known as the ‘nerve plant’ because their veins look a bit like the human nervous system.

Fittonia albivenis The genus was named after Elizabeth and Sarah Mary Fitton, two Irish sisters whose lovely illustrated book introducing the science of plants to young people, Conversations on Botany, was first published in 1817.

The specific name albivensis literally means “white veins.” Common names for this type of Fittonia, including nerve plant, silver net leaf, silver threads, and silver Fittonia, are descriptive of the intricate leaf veins of this lush tropical plant.

Fittonia plants can be separated into two groups:
White-veined nerve plants belong to the Argyroneura Group.
Red or pink-veined nerve plants belong to the Verschaffeltii Group.