Maranta (plant)

Maranta is a genus of flowering plants in the family Marantaceae, native to tropical Central and South America and the West Indies. Maranta was named for Bartolomeo Maranta, an Italian physician and botanist of the sixteenth century.

About 40-50 species are currently recognized. They all have rhizomes and naturally form perennial clumps. The crowded oval, evergreen leaves are undivided with sheathing stalks. The leaves are flat by day and folded up as the day comes to an end, hence the common name "prayer plant" which attaches to the genus and its species - notably M. leuconeura. The flowers are small with three petals and two larger petal-like staminodes.

Cultivation
Maranta arundinacea is cultivated to produce the edible starch arrowroot. Some species such as Maranta leuconeura (prayer plant) and M. arundinacea are grown as common houseplants in a warmish house or conservatory environment. They can be propagated through cuttings (2 - 3 leaves) or by root division.

Species
Species include: • Maranta amazonica L.Andersson

• Maranta amplifolia K.Schum. in H.G.A.Engler (ed.)

• Maranta anderssoniana Yosh.-Arns, Mayo & M.Alves

• Maranta arundinacea L. (arrowroot, type species)

• Maranta bracteosa Petersen

• Maranta burchellii K.Schum. in H.G.A.Engler (ed.),

• Maranta cordata Körn.

• Maranta coriacea S.Vieira & V.C.Souza

• Maranta cristata Nees & Mart.

• Maranta depressa E.Morren

• Maranta divaricata Roscoe

• Maranta foliosa Körn.

• Maranta friedrichsthaliana Körn.

• Maranta furcata Nees & Mart.

• Maranta gibba Sm. in A.Rees

• Maranta hatschbachiana Yosh.-Arns, Mayo & M.Alves

• Maranta humilis Aubl.

• Maranta incrassata L.Andersson

• Maranta leuconeura E.Morren (prayer plant)

• Maranta lietzei (E.Morren) C.H.Nelson

• Maranta lindmanii L.Andersson

• Maranta linearis L.Andersson

• Maranta longiflora S.Vieira & V.C.Souza

• Maranta longipes K.Schum. in H.G.A.Engler (ed.)

• Maranta longiscapa S.Moore

• Maranta noctiflora Regel & Körn.

• Maranta parvifolia Petersen

• Maranta phrynioides Körn.

• Maranta pleiostachys K.Schum. in H.G.A.Engler (ed.)

• Maranta pluriflora (Petersen) K.Schum. in H.G.A.Engler (ed.)

• Maranta pohliana Körn.

• Maranta protracta Miq.

• Maranta pulchra S.Vieira & V.C.Souza

• Maranta purpurea S.Vieira & V.C.Souza

• Maranta pycnostachys K.Schum. in H.G.A.Engler (ed.)

• Maranta rugosa J.M.A.Braga & S.Vieira

• Maranta ruiziana Körn.

• Maranta rupicola L.Andersson

• Maranta sobolifera L.Andersson

• Maranta subterranea J.M.A.Braga

• Maranta tuberculata L.Andersson

• Maranta zingiberina L.Andersson