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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 MARANTACEAE specimen
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.

Click a node to trace its path · pinch or scroll to zoom · drag to pan
Leaf SurfaceWhat does the leaf surface feel or look like?
Glabrous (smooth, hairless)
Glaucous (waxy blue-grey bloom)

Typical leaf characters

  • ArrangementVariable
  • TypeVariable
  • MarginVariable
  • Pinnate venation leaf characterVenationPinnate

Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.

Typical flower & fruit

  • Flower symmetryVariable
  • InflorescencePanicle
  • FruitCapsule

Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.

Notable members

Zebra-PlantGoeppertia zebrinaArrowrootMaranta arundinaceaPrayer PlantMaranta leuconeuraMarsh MarantaStachyphrynium spicatumBent Alligator-FlagThalia geniculata

All 7 species in MARANTACEAE

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