Maranta

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 2. 1753; Gen. Pl., ed. 5; 2, 1754.

Common names: Arrowroot prayer-plant
Etymology: for Bartolomea Maranti, Venetian physician and botanist who lived during the mid 1500s
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 22.

Plants terrestrial, prostrate, scandent, or upright, usually dying back to rhizome during dry season, 0.1–1.5(–1.8) m. Rhizomes occasionally swollen, storing starch. Stems branched or unbranched with basal and cauline leaves to highly branched above elongate, cane-like stem (internode) with few or no basal leaves. Leaves homotropic [rarely antitropic]; sheath usually auriculate, not spongy; blade [patterned] plain green, ovate to elliptic. Inflorescences usually 2–several per shoot, spikel-like, unbranched; bracts persistent, subtending 2–6 pedicellate flower pairs, herbaceous; prophylls keeled, membranous; secondary bracts absent; bracteoles usually absent. Flowers self-fertilizing [or outcrossing], corolla white, staminodes white [purple]; sepals persistent in fruit, more than 5 mm, herbaceous; corolla tube [4–]12–14 mm, corolla lobes unequal; outer staminodes 2, petal-like; callose staminode apex usually petal-like; cucullate staminode with 1 appendage, medial [subterminal], flaplike [fingerlike]; stylar movement in single plane; style unappendaged. Fruits capsules, 1-seeded, obliquely ellipsoid, pericarp relatively thin, dehiscent. Seeds brown, ellipsoid, rugose; perisperm canal 1, distally branched; aril conspicuous, white.

Distribution

Tropical and subtropical regions, s Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America (to n Argentina).

Discussion

Species 32 (1 in the flora).

... more about "Maranta"
Helen Kennedy +
Linnaeus +
Arrowroot +  and prayer-plant +
Tropical and subtropical regions +, s Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +  and South America (to n Argentina). +
for Bartolomea Maranti, Venetian physician and botanist who lived during the mid 1500s +
andersson1986a +, anonymous1893a +, hodge1957a +, morton1977a +, purseglove1972a +  and sturtevant1969a +
Maranta +
Marantaceae +