Calathea

Last updated

Calathea
Starr 080716-9470 Calathea crotalifera.jpg
Calathea crotalifera
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Marantaceae
Genus: Calathea
G.Mey.
Species

Numerous, see text

Calathea is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Marantaceae. They are commonly called calatheas or (like their relatives) prayer plants. About 200 species formerly assigned to Calathea are now in the genus Goeppertia . [1] Calathea currently contains around 60 species. Native to the tropical Americas, many of the species are popular as pot plants due to their decorative leaves and, in some species, colorful inflorescences. The young leaves and bracts can retain pools of water called phytotelmata, that provide habitat for many invertebrates. [2]

Contents

Description

Foliage

Calathea leaves are often large and colorfully patterned. [3] The leaves are often variegated with bright colors such as pink, orange, red, and white. [4] The underside of their leaves are frequently purple. [4] During the night, the leaves fold up. [3] In the morning, the leaves unfurl in search of the morning sun. [3] This phenomenon, known as nyctinasty, [3] is made possible by a small joint the plant possesses between the stem and leaf, called a pulvinus. [4]

Flowers

Calathea flowers can be yellow, purple, and white and bloom in the summer. [3] The flowers have an asymmetrical structure with three petals and three free sepals. [4] Calathea bracts are often more attractive than its flowers. [4]

Cultivation

In ample conditions, calatheas can grow up to three feet in height with wide leaves. Though they are slow growers, once they reach their ultimate height they will stop growing.

Light

Like the shady floors of the tropical canopies, this genus prefers low to medium light. [3] Too much direct sunlight can damage their fragile leaves. Signs of too much sun exposure may result in sunburn or dullness in the color of the leaves. [3]

Temperature and humidity

Along with low to indirect light preferences, these plants require high humidity to mimic their natural habitat . [3] Some calatheas are placed in bathrooms, kitchens, and other areas with high-moisture levels. [3] Calatheas prefer temperatures 60 °F / 15 °C and above to support healthy growth. [3] These plants are also sensitive to cold air. The ideal temperatures range for these plants is 75 °F / 23 °C to 85 °F / 29 °C. [3]

Water

Calatheas should be kept moist but not wet, never fully drying out between waterings. [3] Over- or under-watering these plants can lead to root rot or brown, dry leaves. [3] Calathea are sensitive to chemicals and certain heavy metals and minerals found in tap water, mainly chlorine and fluoride. [3] A buildup of excess salts and chlorine solids can also be seen with brown leaf-edges, as the plant may be unable to expel all of its absorbed minerals, post-watering. Therefore, many collectors recommend only watering these plants with distilled water, and being gentle on fertilizer, as well; still, despite the plant’s chemical sensitivities, other gardeners advise against solely using distilled water, as it is devoid of all possible nutrition, and recommend alternating between distilled, reverse osmosis and spring water.

Growing medium

Ideal soil conditions for calatheas should be porous and well draining. [3] Drainage is very important for calatheas due to root rot. A light porous soil and pot with a drainage hole will ensure the plant's delicate root system is not over-watered. Calatheas prefer the soil to be moist but not overwatered. The species also prefers an acidic soil pH.

Cultivars

The genus Calathea is expansive and is not short of many cultivars. Cultivars include:

Houseplants

The species was first introduced as a houseplant in the 1970s and 1980s. [4] Over the years, calatheas have become a popular houseplant because of their attractive leaves. [3] Calathea are also grown outdoors in Hawaii and southern Florida. [3] Unlike their wild counterparts, few indoor-kept calathea will flower. [5]

Propagation

Plant propagation is the process of creating an offspring of a plant through a mother plant. Calathea achieve propagation through division. [5] To successfully propagate a calathea, one needs to have a healthy established mother plant. After removing the mother plant from its pot, one can gently separate the plant into smaller parts. [5] Once the calathea has been successfully divided, each new grouping must be planted in its own (well-draining) pot. The newly established calathea will soon shoot out new leaves and continue to grow.

Native uses

In its native range, the large and tough leaves are popular for holding small items. Sometimes, they are used unprocessed, e.g. to wrap fish for transport in parts of Brazil, such as the Benevides region of Pará [ citation needed ]. In other places, the leaves are used in handicraft to produce containers, such as the quivers of the Nukak people of Colombia [ citation needed ]. Most famous, perhaps, are the decorative Calathea-leaf rice containers produced in some villages of Thailand, especially in Ban Huak (Amphoe Si Bun Rueang) where they are an important source of income and sold to locals and tourists alike [ citation needed ].

Calathea foliage is of importance to some herbivores, such as the caterpillars of the purple owl (Caligo beltrao) which feed on C. zebrina [ citation needed ]. For a list of Calathea diseases, see List of foliage plant diseases (Marantaceae).

Due to habitat destruction, several species are threatened with extinction [ citation needed ].

Native regions

Calathea are native to parts of tropical Latin America and were introduced in Hawaii. [6] The genus is native to the following countries and regions: [6]

List of species

The following species are accepted: [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marantaceae</span> Family of flowering plants in the Commelinid order Zingiberales

The Marantaceae are a family, the arrowroot family, of flowering plants consisting of 31 genera and around 530 species, defining it as one of the most species-rich families in its order. Species of this family are found in lowland tropical forests of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The majority (80%) of the species are found in the American tropics, followed by Asian (11%) and African (9%) tropics. They are commonly called the prayer-plant family and are also known for their unique secondary pollination presentation.

<i>Monstera deliciosa</i> Species of plant

Monstera deliciosa, the Swiss cheese plant or split-leaf philodendron is a species of flowering plant native to tropical forests of southern Mexico, south to Panama. It has been introduced to many tropical areas, and has become a mildly invasive species in Hawaii, Seychelles, Ascension Island and the Society Islands. It is very widely grown in temperate zones as a houseplant.

<i>Zamioculcas</i> Species of plant

Zamioculcas is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, containing the single species Zamioculcas zamiifolia. It is a tropical herbaceous perennial plant, native to eastern Africa including Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Mozambique,Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Common names include Zanzibar gem, ZZ plant, Zuzu plant, aroid palm, eternity plant and emerald palm. It is grown as a houseplant mainly for its attractive glossy foliage and easy care. Zamioculcas zamiifolia is winter hardy to USDA Zones 9–10.

<i>Heliconia stricta</i> Species of plant

Heliconia stricta is a plant species native to Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, reproducing by seeds and by underground rhizomes. It is reportedly naturalized in Cuba and Puerto Rico, and cultivated as an ornamental in many other warm regions. The young leaves and bracts retain water, forming pools called phytotelmata, which provide habitat for diverse invertebrates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phytotelma</span> Small water-filled cavity in a terrestrial plant

Phytotelma is a small water-filled cavity in a terrestrial plant. The water accumulated within these plants may serve as the habitat for associated fauna and flora.

<i>Aechmea fasciata</i> Species of plant

Aechmea fasciata is a species of flowering plant in the Bromeliaceae family. It is commonly called the silver vase or urn plant and is native to Brazil. This plant is probably the best known species in this genus, and it is often grown as a houseplant in temperate areas.

Goeppertia curaraya is a species of flowering plant in the Marantaceae family. It is native to Ecuador and Colombia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Goeppertia dodsonii is a species of flowering plant in the Marantaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<i>Goeppertia ecuadoriana</i> Species of flowering plant

Goeppertia ecuadoriana is a species of flowering plant in the Marantaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Goeppertia gandersii is a species of flowering plant in the Marantaceae family. It is endemic to Napo Province of Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Goeppertia libbyana is a species of flowering plant in the family Marantaceae, endemic to Napo Province of Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Goeppertia veitchiana</i> Species of plant in the genus Goeppertia

Goeppertia veitchiana is a species of flowering plant in the Marantaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

<i>Goeppertia makoyana</i> Species of flowering plant

Goeppertia makoyana, also known as peacock plant or cathedral windows, is a species of plant belonging to the genus Goeppertia in the family Marantaceae, native to Espírito Santo state of eastern Brazil. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Goeppertia insignis</i> Species of flowering plant

Goeppertia insignis, the rattlesnake plant, is a species of flowering plant in the Marantaceae family, native to Rio de Janeiro state in Brazil.

<i>Calathea zebrina</i> Species of flowering plant

Calathea zebrina, the zebra plant, is a species of plant in the family Marantaceae, native to southeastern Brazil. Under the synonym Goeppertia zebrina this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Goeppertia</i> Genus of Marantaceae plants

Goeppertia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Marantaceae, native to the New World Tropics. It contains 243 accepted species, many of which were until recently assigned to Calathea. It was first described by Nees von Esenbeck in 1831, who erroneously erected another genus Goeppertia in 1836, which has now been synonymized with Endlicheria. In 1862 August Grisebach described another genus Goeppertia; this has now been synonymized with Bisgoeppertia.

<i>Maranta leuconeura</i> Species of flowering plant

Maranta leuconeura, widely known as the prayer plant due to its daily sunlight-dependent movements, is a species of flowering plant in the family Marantaceae native to the Brazilian tropical forests. 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 plant spreads itself horizontally, carpeting an entire small area of forest floor, sending roots into the substrate at each leaf node.

<i>Goeppertia rufibarba</i> Species of plant in the genus Goeppertia

Goeppertia rufibarba, the furry feather or velvet calathea, is a flowering plant in the Marantaceae family, native to Bahia state of northeastern Brazil. The plant's common names are due to its fuzzy, fur-like underleaf texture, which is unusual in its genus. Common as a houseplant, the species requires warm temperatures, shade, and humidity to thrive, and may produce small yellow flowers. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Goeppertia roseopicta</i> Species of flowering plant

Goeppertia roseopicta is a species of plant in the family Marantaceae, native to northwest Brazil. It is marketed as a houseplant under its synonym Calathea roseopicta. It is a clump-forming evergreen perennial growing to 50 cm (20 in), very similar in appearance to Goeppertia makoyana. The large rounded leaves are dark green above, red below, marked heavily with cream or pink stripes "painted" along the veins and midrib, with feathered margins.

Pilea fairchildiana, which was previously known as Sarcopilea domingensis, is a succulent plant endemic to the Constanza Mountains of the Dominican Republic. It was thought to be under a monospecific genus (Sarcopilea), but with new phylogenetic information is now placed under the genus Pilea.

References

  1. ↑ Borchsenius, Finn; Suárez, Luz Stella Suárez; Prince, Linda M. (2012). "Molecular Phylogeny and Redefined Generic Limits of Calathea (Marantaceae)". Systematic Botany. 37 (3): 620–635. doi:10.1600/036364412X648571. S2CID   84276716.
  2. ↑ Jalinsky, J., T.A. Radocy, R. Wertenberger, & C.S. Chaboo. 2014. Insect diversity in phytotelmata habitats of two host plants, Heliconia stricta Huber (Heliconiaceae) and Calathea lutea Schult (Marantaceae) in the south-east Amazon of Peru. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 87(3): 299–311.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "How to Grow Striking Tropical Calathea". The Spruce. Retrieved 2019-04-25.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Van Huylenbroeck, Johan; Calsyn, Evelien; Van den Broeck, Andy; Denis, René; Dhooghe, Emmy (2018), Van Huylenbroeck, Johan (ed.), "Calathea", Ornamental Crops, Handbook of Plant Breeding, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 301–318, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-90698-0_13, ISBN   978-3-319-90698-0 , retrieved 2021-11-16
  5. 1 2 3 "Calathea: A Guide to Collecting Calathea". Leaf and Paw. 2018-11-09. Retrieved 2019-04-25.
  6. 1 2 3 "Calathea G.Mey". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.