Maranta leuconeura

prayer plant
foliage and flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Marantaceae
Genus: Maranta
Species: M. leuconeura
Binomial name
Maranta leuconeura
E.Morren
Synonyms[1]
  • Calathea leuconeura (E.Morren) G.Nicholson
  • Maranta massangeana E.Morren
  • Calathea kerchoveana (E.Morren) André
  • Maranta kerchoveana E.Morren
  • Maranta kerchovei Van Geert
  • Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana E.Morren
  • Maranta leuconeura var. massangeana (E.Morren) Planch
  • Calathea massangeana (E.Morren) G.Nicholson
  • Maranta massangeana atrata G.Nicholson
  • Maranta massangeana florentina G.Nicholson
  • Maranta massangeana metallica G.Nicholson
  • Maranta leuconeura var. erythroneura G.S.Bunting

Maranta leuconeura (prayer plant) is a species of flowering plant in the family Marantaceae, native to the Brazilian Rainforest.[1] It is a variable, rhizomatous perennial, growing to 30 cm (12 in) tall and broad, with crowded clumps of evergreen, strikingly-marked oval leaves, each up to 12 cm (5 in) long. The leaves have a habit of lying flat during the day, and folding in an erect position at night, hence the common name "prayer plant".[2][3]

The specific epithet leuconeura means "white-veined", referring to the leaves.[4]

Cultivation

Maranta leuconeura is a well-known houseplant in temperate regions, requiring a minimum temperature of 15 °C (59 °F). In warmer climates it can be grown as groundcover in moist, shady areas. Numerous cultivars have been produced.[2] The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-

Chemistry

Rosmarinic acid can be found in plants in the family Marantaceae such as Maranta leuconeura.[7]

prayer plant "praying", i.e., raising its leaves for the evening

References

  1. 1 2 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Maranta leuconeura
  2. 1 2 RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
  3. "Missouri Botanical Garden - Maranta leuconeura". Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  4. Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
  5. "RHS Plant Selector - Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana". Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  6. "RHS Plant Selector - Maranta leuconeura var. erythroneura". Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  7. Occurrence of rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid and rutin in Marantaceae species. Yana Abdullah, Bernd Schneider and Maike Petersen, Phytochemistry Letters, 12 December 2008, Volume 1, Issue 4, Pages 199–203, doi:10.1016/j.phytol.2008.09.010
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