Goeppertia insignis

Goeppertia insignis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Zingiberales
Family:	Marantaceae
Genus:	Goeppertia
Species:	G. insignis
Binomial name
Goeppertia insignis (W.Bull ex W.E.Marshall) J.M.A.Braga, L.J.T.Cardoso & R.Couto
Synonyms [1]
Calathea insignis(W.Bull ex W.E.Marshall) W.Bull Calathea lancifoliaBoom Goeppertia lancifolia(Boom) Borchs. & S.Suárez Maranta insignisW.Bull ex W.E.Marshall

Goeppertia insignis (syn. Calathea lancifolia, Goeppertia lancifolia), the rattlesnake plant, is a species of flowering plant in the Marantaceae family, native to Rio de Janeiro state in Brazil. ^[1]

It is an evergreen perennial, growing to 60–75 cm (24–30 in), with slender pale green leaves to 45 cm (18 in), heavily marked above with dark blotches, purple below. ^{[2] [3]}

In the Peruvian Amazon, the plant is used for wrapping brown sugar. ^[4]

Cultivation

Goeppertia insignis prefers indirect sunlight. ^[5] These plants want well-drained, but moist, soil. ^[5] They like a pH of 6.1 to 7.3. ^[6] The plant requires a minimum temperature of 16 °C (61 °F), and it is commonly used as a houseplant in temperate regions.

Leaves

The bottom side of the leaves are purple, with the adaxial surface having what look like dark green alternating large and small leaflets overlaid on the light green leaf. ^[7] Like other prayer plants, its leaves fold together at night, and unfold again in the morning. ^[8]

References

1. "Goeppertia insignis (W.Bull ex W.E.Marshall) J.M.A.Braga, L.J.T.Cardoso & R.Couto". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
2. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN   978-1405332965.
3. "Calathea lancifolia rattlesnake plant". The Royal Horticultural Society. 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
4. Duke, James A.; Vasquez, Rodolfo (1994). Amazonian Ethnobotanical Dictionary. CRC Press. p. 36.
5. "Goeppertia insignis | rattlesnake plant/RHS Gardening". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
6. "Plant database entry for Rattlesnake Plant (Goeppertia lancifolia) with 25 images and 23 data details". garden.org. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
7. "Goeppertia insignis (Calathea lancifolia 2, Prayer Plant, Rattlesnake Calathea, Rattlesnake Master, Rattlesnake Plant) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
8. "Prayer Plant - Maranta leuconeura Picture, Care Tips". www.guide-to-houseplants.com. Retrieved 2020-09-18.