MARANTACEAE
Morphological description
Rhizomatous non-aromatic herbs.
Leaves
Leaves simple, entire, 2-ranked, petioles sheathing at base and swollen apically. Leaves usually crowded
Flowers
Flower bisexual, zygomorphic, perianth in 3 rows of 3, unequal, more of less free; stamens petaloid, the inner one with a 1-locular anther; ovary inferior, 3-locular.
Fruit
Fruit a capsule. few-seeded, arillate
Seed
Seed arillate.
Different from: Zingiberaceae: aromatic, anthers 2-locular, calyx tubular.
Distribution: A pantropical family; in Malesia 7 genera,including : - Cominsia (East Malesia, Melanesia, Australia), robust herbs, rain forest; - Donax (Southeast Asia-Pacific), robust herbs, rain forest, wet places; - Phrynium (Southeast Asia, Malesia), herbs, floor of rain forest.
Notes: Several exotic species are cultivated as ornamentals, a few local species are (potential) ornamentals. - Maranta* produces flour.
Literature: R.E. Holttum, Gard. Bull. Sing. 13 (1951) 254-296; H. Kennedy, Kew Bull. 41 (1985) 725-731.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Marantaceae 92, 104 - Cominsia 38 - Halopegia 38 - Maranta 38 - Monophrynium 38 - Phacelophrynium 38 - Phrynium 38, 76 - Schumannianthus 38 - Stachyphrynium 38.
Illustrations: Fig. 110. Donax cannaeformis (G. Forst.) K. Schum. (Donax grandis (Miq.) Ridl.) (Marantaceae). Reproduced from Hsuan Keng, Orders and Families of Malayan Seed plants (1978) fig. 194. With kind permission of Prof. and Mrs. Keng. Fig. 111. Stachyphrynium griffithii (Bak.) K. Schum. (Marantaceae). Reproduced from M. R. Henderson, Malayan wild flowers, Monocotyledons (1954, repr. 1974) 130. With kind permission from the Malaysian Nature Society.
Image in PhytoImages for Marantaceae