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] | |
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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:-
- M. leuconeura var. kerchoveana[5] (rabbit's foot), dark blotches between the leaf veins
- M. leuconeura var. erythroneura[6] (herringbone plant); strong red veining on dark green leaves
Chemistry
Rosmarinic acid can be found in plants in the family Marantaceae such as Maranta leuconeura.[7]
References
- 1 2 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Maranta leuconeura
- 1 2 RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
- ↑ "Missouri Botanical Garden - Maranta leuconeura". Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ↑ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
- ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana". Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Maranta leuconeura var. erythroneura". Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ↑ 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