Marantaceae R.Br.

Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Morphology General Habit

Rhizomatous herbs, small to moderately sized, sometimes lianescent and high-climbing or tall tree -like plants; roots often with tubers, rhizome axis or scales often starch-storing

Morphology Leaves

Leaves distichous, differentiated into sheath, petiole proper (often missing), a distal thickening the so-called pulvinus, and blade; blades with a prominent midrib and parallel, closely set, sigmoid lateral veins fused near  blade margin, interconnected by numerous regularly arranged secondary veinlets

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence simple or a complex synflorescence;  inflorescence unit a spiciform thyrse with aggregates of one- or two-flowered cymules in axils of the bracts; cymules with a dorsal two- or three- keeled prophyll at base, often also with a scale-like interphyll opposite to the prophyll, and dorsal (rarely also lateral) bracteoles

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers trimerous, asymmetric ; two flowers of a cymule being mirror images; sepals free; petals 3, basally connate; corolla, androecium and style fused at base to form a tube continued as a staminal tube above level of petal separation; outer staminal whorl of 1 or 2 staminodes, or (rarely) missing, staminodes usually petaloid and showy; inner staminal whorl of 3 members, one fertile monothecic stamen (often with a lateral petaloid appendage) and two staminodes, one hood-shaped (cucullate staminode) and other usually firm and fresh with marked callosities (callose staminode); style with a flattened portion on dorsal side just below  apex, stigma confined to an apical cavity; ovary inferior, 3-6-locular, two often empty and compressed; ovules basal, one per locule; septa with septal nectaries.  Fruit usually capsular; seeds rather large, arillate, without endosperm but with copious starchy perisperm; embryo horseshoe-shaped; centre of  seed with a canal formed by disintegration of central core of tissue (perisperm canal).

Distribution

Calathea G. Mey.: Mexico, Mesoamerica, Caribbean, and tropical South America. Ctenanthe Eichler: Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Venezuela. Hylaeanthe A.M.E. Jonker & Jonker: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Guianas, Colombia, Argentina, N and NE Brazil. Ischnosiphon Körn.: Caribbean, Central and South America. Koernickanthe L. Andersson: Central Brazil. Maranta L.: Central and tropical South America. Monophyllanthe K. Schum.: French Guiana, Colombia, and N Brazil. Monotagma K. Schum.: Central and tropical South America Myrosma L. f.: Caribbean and tropical South America. Pleiostachya K. Schum.: Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and Ecuador. Sanblasia L. Andersson: Panama. Saranthe (Regel & Körn.) Eichler: SE Brazil. Stromanthe Sond.: Mexico, Caribbean, Central and tropical South America. Thalia L.: Caribbean, Mexico, Central and tropical South America. Native

Diagnostic

Key differences from similar families: In Marantaceae (1) the petaloid members of inner staminal whorl have shapes that are adapted to specific functions in pollination, (2) the style is hook-shaped and bears the stigma laterally, and (3) each locule bears a single basalovule; while in Cannaceae (1) the petaloid members of inner staminal whorl have no specialized shapes, (2) the style is petaloid and bears the stigma terminally, (3) the placentae are axial and multiovulate. Sigmoidlateralveins which fuse near the blade margin and are interconnected by numerous regularly arranged secondary veinlets. Distinguishing characters (always present): Two members of inner staminal whorl highly modified, one of them hooded (the cucullate staminode) and the other one firm and fleshy with marked callosities (the callosus staminode). A distal thickening of the petiole, the so-called pulvinus. Notable genera and distinguishing features: Calathea:  Compact and strobiliform inflorescences. Floral tube long and narrow. Outer staminode solitary (rarely missing). Ovary with three fertile locules. Maranta:  Rhizomes usually with some form of specialization. Root tubers usually present. Inflorescence usually lax, simple or more complex. Floral tube moderately long and narrow (rarely short). Two outer staminodes subequal to unequal. Sepals persistent on the fruit. Calathea G. Mey.: compact and strobiliform inflorescences; floral tube long and narrow; outer staminode solitary (rarely missing); ovary with three fertile locules. Ctenanthe Eichler: antitropic leaves; corolla tube very short and wide; bracts long-persistent; two outer staminodes slightly unequal; callose staminode distally petaloid and showy. Hylaeanthe A.M.E. Jonker & Jonker: hygrophytic habit; fenestrate leaf sheaths; marcescent bracts; floral tube very long and narrow; two outer staminodes markedly unequal (rarely only one). Ischnosiphon Körn.: slender spiciform inflorescences; sclerotic bracts; floral tube very long and narrow; outer staminode solitary. Koernickanthe L. Andersson: inflorescences compact, spiciform with bright orange bracts, flowers bright yellow, floral tube long and narrow, two outer staminodes subequal, markedly unequal to solitary. Maranta L.: rhizomes usually with some form of specialization, root tubers usually present; inflorescence usually lax, simple or more complex; floral tube moderately long and narrow (rarely short); two outer staminodes subequal to unequal; sepals persistent on the fruit. Monophyllanthe K. Schum.: rhizomes with bulb-like structures made up of thick starch-storing cataphylls; inflorescences imple, sepals linear, floral tube very long and narrow, outer staminode solitary (rarely two markedly unequal). Monotagma K. Schum.: leaf blades firm and chartaceous when dry; inflorescence a richly-branched synflorescence, often much congested; bracts tough and coriaceous, often woody in texture when dry, conduplicate; cymules one-flowered; flower tube very long and narrow; outer staminode solitary. Myrosma L. f.: small plants; rhizomes with bulb-like structures at the branch tips; inflorescences pronouncedly mono-symmetrical, with much overlapping bracts; bracts persistent, distinctly fibrous, papiraceous when dry, white in live plants, straw-coloured when dry; flower tube short and wide; two outer staminodes, equal and showy; fertile stamen with a large, petaloid and showy appendage. Pleiostachya K. Schum.: laterally flattened inflorescences with conduplicate and much overlapping bracts; bracts markedly fibrous and persistent;  floral tube very long and narrow; outer staminode solitary; callose staminode entirely firm and fleshy. Sanblasia L. Andersson: spiciform inflorescences; bracts overlapping and conduplicate; channelled and keeled bracteoles; floral tubes very long and narrow; with three fertile locules. Saranthe (Regel & Körn.) Eichler: hygrophytic habit; bracts deciduous (rarely long-persistent), herbaceous to membranaceous, thin-papiraceous when dry; floral tube short and wide; two outer staminodes, equal; fertile stamen with a petaloid, narrowly oblong appendage equalling or somewhat exceeding the anther. Stromanthe Sond.: richly-branched aerial shoot system; leaves antitropic; flower tube very short and wide to inconspicuous; sepals very large and fibrous; outer staminodes completely absent or two rudimentary to petaloid and showy. Thalia L.: inflorescence a well-branched synflorescence with deciduous bracts; sepals very short; floral tube indistinct; outer staminode solitary; cucullate staminode with two appendages; style with a very long ventral projection of the stigmatic orifice.

Note

Number of genera: 31 genera worldwide, 14 represented in the Neotropics: Calathea Ctenanthe Hylaeanthe Ischnosiphon Koernickanthe Maranta Monophyllanthe Monotagma Myrosma Pleiostachya Sanblasia Saranthe Stromanthe Thalia There is a growing demand for species of Calathea, Ctenanthe, Maranta, and Stromanthe as ornamentals.  These plants are easy to grow in tropical and subtropical climates where they are cultivated as landscape plants and as potted plants in temperate climates. This family includes a number of edible species such as Calathea barbata Petersen and Calathea allouia Lindl., from which the tubercules are cooked and eaten by indigenous people in central Brazil and northern South America, respectively.  However, only a single species, Maranta arundinacea L. (arrowroot) is economically important. Fibre plants are abundant in the family.  The inflorescence peduncles of species of Ischnosiphon are used for making baskets, mats, strings for musical instruments and ornaments in the Amazonian region and the Guianas. Species with larger leaf blades are used for wrapping foods, to cover cargo and as bottle stoppers.

Marantaceae, E. Milne-Redhead. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1952

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herbs with rhizomes, sometimes with bamboo-like shoots

Morphology Stem

Shoots simple or branched with one to many leaves

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with petiole sheathing below, terete in the middle and both terete and calloused (pulvinate) just below the blade; leaf-blade usually more or less asymmetric with one side (either left or right) more curved than the other and the acumen not in line with the midrib; some plants with only one type of leaf (the more curved side either right or left) (homotropic), some with both types (antitropic); nerves parallel and very numerous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence simple or branched with each cymose partial inflorescence in the axil of a primary bract, each successive branch of the cyme (a two-flowered cymule) enclosed in an unkeeled or 2–3-keeled prophyll, and an unkeeled mesophyll opposite the prophyll, or with mespohyll or both mesophyll and prophyll absent; primary bracts arranged in simple spikes with from 4 to many nodes Cymule pedunculate or sessile with the two flowers pedicellate or seesile, side by side or at different levels, with or without fleshy bracteoles

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals free, equal

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla forming a tube below with 3 petaloid lobes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Sterile Parts

Staminodes (with stamen) forming a tube below, which is fused to the corolla tube; outer staminodes 2 or 1, petaloid or subulate, sometimes unequal; inner staminodes 3, unequal, one bearing the anther and another hooded, with or without a spur-like appendage

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary inferior, 1- or 3-locular with one ovule in each loculus Style and stigma at first held erect by the hood of one of the staminodes, later suddenly bending downwards

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit dehiscent or indehiscent, with 1–3 seeds

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed with or without a basal aril; endosperm abundant

Timothy Utteridge & Gemma Bramley (2020). The Kew Tropical Plant Families Identification Handbook, Second Edition. Kew Publishing Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Note

Rhizomatous herbs. Leaves with a basal non-ligulate sheath, petiolempulvinate, blade usually paddle-shaped, often asymmetric, lateral veins often drying undulate; Inflorescences complex, bract-rich. Flowers in cymose pairs with 1 fertile, 1-thecate anther; staminodia present.

Recognition

Characters of similar families: Araceae: possess a spadix, spathe and no other bracts, central costa of leaf blade compound, often pinnate. Zingiberaceae: rhizome aromatic, often with a pseudostem, pulvinus absent, ligule usually present, stamen 2-thecate. Musaceae: pseudostem present, petiolar pulvinus absent, flowers not in pairs, stamens 6 or 5 plus 1 staminode. Heliconiaceae: petiolar pulvinus absent, flowers in cincinnate clusters in bract axils with 5 fertile stamens. Cannaceae: petiolar pulvinus absent, flowers not paired but in cincinnate clusters, ovary and capsule with short fleshy trichomes.

Morphology General Habit

Herbs, often with stems that branch, rhizomes not aromatic. Leaves usually paddle-shaped, petiolate, pulvinate, sheath not ligulate, blade often asymmetric, with a prominent single central costa, often with the apex offset from it, the rest of blade the drying with an undulate appearance

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences often complex, bract-rich though bracts may be caducous, terminal or lateral-Flowers zygomorphic, in cymose pairs with 1 fertile anther with a single theca; staminodia present, variable in form, petaloid or modified for explosive pollination; style narrowly cylindric, ovary inferior, 1- or 3-locular with one ovule per locule

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit usually capsular and dehiscent, rarely indehiscent and resembling a berry or caryopsis

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds arillate in dehiscent-fruited taxa

Distribution

Species diversity is primarily neotropical mainly due to Calathea (300+ species) but the Palaeotropics possess important generic diversity Pantropical but not in Australia

Ecology

Most species in moist lowland evergreen forests.

Description Author

Paul Wilkin