Marantaceae

Arrowroot Family

By: Sandy Popp

A large family of about 30 genera and 260 species, mostly tropical. A component of the Zingiberales (plants related to gingers), members of this family have rhizomes, and leaves similar to those of heliconias and some gingers, but distinctively with a swelling at the top of the petiole. Foliage often showy. Flowers clustered, usually in mirror-image pairs, associated with bracts, often in spikes or in spikelike inflorescences. Perianth not showy, the showy parts resembling petals comprised of 5 petaloid stamens, the 6^th stamen bearing an anther. Ovary 3-chambered (but 2 chambers sometimes aborting), each chamber 1-seeded.

Rogers, George K. 1984. The genera of Zingiberales (Cannaceae, Marantaceae, and Zingiberaceae) in the Southeastern United States. [Generic Flora of the Southeastern United States, treatment no.101]. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 65: 5-55.

Key to Important Marantaceae Genera Cultivated in South Florida (based partly on BA1)

1. Ovary with 3 cells and three seeds…Calathea (Ctenanthe similar but having multiple staminodes vs. 1)

1. Ovary with just one cell and one seed at maturity…2

2. Large (over 6’ tall), native aquatic plants, with mirror-image paired violet flowers in pubescent inflorescences; flowers having 2 outer staminodia (petal-like stamens)…Thalia

2. Smaller cultivated plants, not aquatic; flowers white (may be striped with purple); outer staminodia 2…Maranta

Plants listed in the manual include:

Calathea loesneri

Calathea majestica

Calathea makoyana

Calathea roseopicta

Calathea rotundifolia

Calathea rufibarba

Calathea undulata

Calathea zebrina

Ctenanthe burle-marxi

Ctenanthe lubbersiana

Maranta arundinacea

Maranta leuconeura

Stromanthe sanguinea

Thalia geniculata