Ctenanthe

Ctenanthe is a genus of flowering plants of the family Marantaceae described as a genus in 1884. They are evergreen perennials, native to Central and South America (primarily Brazil). They are grown for their attractive, often variegated foliage. They are frost tender, requiring a minimum temperature of 13 C.

Species
The genus has the following species: • Ctenanthe amabilis - Brazil

• Ctenanthe amphiandina - Ecuador, Peru, NW Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia

• Ctenanthe burle-marxii - Espírito Santo

• Ctenanthe casupoides - E + S Brazil, Misiones

• Ctenanthe compressa - Venezuela, Brazil

• Ctenanthe dasycarpa - Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia

• Ctenanthe ericae - SE Colombia, Ecuador, Acre, Rondônia

• Ctenanthe glabra - Brazil

• Ctenanthe kummerana - Rio de Janeiro

• Ctenanthe lanceolata - S + SE Brazil

• Ctenanthe lubbersiana - Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina

• Ctenanthe marantifolia - SE Brazil

• Ctenanthe muelleri - S + SE Brazil

• Ctenanthe oppenheimiana - Bahia

• Ctenanthe setosa - S + E Brazil

Awards
The Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit has been awarded to the following:
 * Ctenanthe amabilis
 * Ctenanthe lubbersiana (common name: bamburanta), which grows to 2 m and bears large, oval leaves up to 30 cm long, heavily striped and mottled with yellow
 * Ctenanthe oppenheimiana 'Tricolor' (common name "never-never plant"), which grows to 2 m with narrow, oval leaves up to 40 cm long with V-shaped silver patterns above and maroon below.