In agar nutrient solutions as simulating the anaerobic conditions, effect of arsenic (As) on the growth and As uptake by hybrid, conventional and glutinous rice cultivars were studied. It showed that the root dry weights of three rice cultivars insignificant effect when treated by different As concentrations. The shoot dry weights of hybrid and glutinous decreased with the increasing As concentrations, while low concentrations of As (0.5 mg L-1) could enhance the growth of conventional rice. Generally, As concentrations in root and shoot increased as the increasing As concentrations of treatment solutions. The root system had a strong ability to uptake and accumulate As. The root As concentrations ranged from 156 to 504 mg kg-1, representing 63.40%~81.90% of total As concentrations in rice, which were much higher than shoot As concentrations. The fact that the glutinous rice had higher biomasses, higher tolerance, lower As concentrations in its root and shoot than the other two rice cultivars proved the glutinous more applicable to As polluted soils.