Botanical Family · Zingiberales

Marantaceae

Arrowroot Family

7 speciesOrder Zingiberales5+ well-known plants

The Marantaceae family (Arrowroot Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Zingiberales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 7 species across 6 genera. Its members are predominantly herbs. Well-represented genera include Maranta, Goeppertia and Phrynium. Several members are valued in traditional medicine. Familiar examples include Zebra-plant, Arrowroot and Prayer Plant.

Browse all 7 species ↓

Representative specimen · Marantaceae

Key pattern

Broad, often boldly patterned leaves borne on a swollen leaf-stalk joint (pulvinus) that lets the leaf fold upright at night like praying hands; asymmetric flowers hide a specialised trigger mechanism that snaps pollen onto a visiting bee's back.

The pulvinus joint driving the nightly leaf-folding movement is the single most reliable field mark, giving several cultivated members the common name 'prayer plant'.

Identify the species

Which Marantaceae species is this?

Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Marantaceae species.

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Leaf SurfaceWhat does the leaf surface feel or look like?

Glabrous (smooth, hairless)

Glaucous (waxy blue-grey bloom)

Family identification method

To check whether a plant belongs to Marantaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.

Learn the full family-identification method