622 



CALATHEA 



on erect densely fld. spike on peduncle 4-6 in. long; 

 spike 2-3 in. long, with a rosette 2 in. diam., of large 

 green foliolose erect or capped spreading bracts; 

 floral bracts erect, spreading at the tips, ovate, an inch 

 long, outer ones covered in lower part with brown hairs ; 

 fls. in pairs, primrose-white, tube %in. long, slender; 

 sepals erect, J^in. long, lanceolate; petals elliptic 

 Kin. long, reflexed; fertile stamen hooded, small, 2 

 aborted petaloid ones longer than the petals, obovate, 

 bilobed, with a bright violet blotch on the front; 

 style and stigma small, curved. Peru. B.M. 5535. 

 G.C. 1870:924. Gn. 2, p. 545. F.S. 16:1655-8. A 

 dwarf var. F6xii, Raffill, has recently been intro. into 

 cult, from Venezuela. It differs from the type in its 

 dwarf habit, rarely exceeding 10-12 in. high: Ivs. 

 broader, more reflexed, and with a bright rose or red 

 midrib; the color of the markings of the If. are darker 

 and of a slightly different shape, the dark inner zone 

 of green being more broken in outline, and running into 

 the midrib: infl. smaller, but the fls. in size and color 

 are the same as in the type. 



20. illustris, Nichols. (Mardnta illtistris, Lindl.). 

 Habit dwarf and compact, 6-9 in. high: Ivs. spreading, 

 growths bearing 2-5 Ivs. 6-9 in. long; blade oblique, 

 ovate, acute, undulate, 4-6 in. long, 2-5 in. broad, 

 upper side rich dark shining olive-green, with a bluish 

 metallic luster over the whole, the midrib being feath- 

 ered on either side with dull silvery white and an irregu- 

 lar zone of the same color running the complete circle 

 of the blade, under side dull purplish red; petiole 2-3 

 in. long, spreading, dull greenish brown; sheath extend- 

 ing to one-half the length of the petiole, upper part 

 terete; petioles, If .-scales and under side of the midrib 

 covered with minute brown hairs: infl. an erect, capi- 

 tate, few-fld. spike, on slender peduncle 4-6 in. long; 

 bracts of two kinds, the upper 3 or 4 green, folio- 

 lose ovate, spreading over the floral bracts, and curv- 

 ing upward at the tips; lower bracts scarious, orbicu- 

 lar, light brown and shading to bright red at the point 

 of attachment to the rachis, bracteoles 2-4, lanceo- 

 late, shorter than the bract: fls. in pairs; sepals white, 

 two-thirds length of the tube, tube %in. long; petals 

 lanceolate, white, spreading, Kin- long; 2 aborted 

 petaloid stamens larger than the petals, obovate, 

 lower one heavily blotched with purple; stamen hooded; 

 style and stigma white, curved, J^in. long; ovary 

 minute, white. Ecuador. F.S. 16:1691-2. By some 

 regarded as derived from C. roseo-picta. 



21. Louisae, Chantrier (Mardnta Louisas' Hort.). 

 Habit tufted, 2-3 ft. high: growths with 2-5 Ivs.; 

 blade elliptic, only slightly oblique, glabrous, acute 

 margins plain or slightly undulate, 6-12 in. long, upper 

 side light pea-green, feathered along the midrib with 

 white, changing with age to a soft greenish white; 

 under side light green tinted with pale purple-red; 

 petiole K-2K ft- long, slender, erect, green, covered 

 with soft minute brown hairs; sheath extending from 

 one-third to one-half the length of the petiole, upper 

 part terete: infl. an erect spike, elliptic in outline, on 

 a leafy peduncle 4-12 in. long; bracts creamy white, 

 reniform, obtuse or acute, bracteoles numerous, white, 

 scarious; fls. in pairs; sepals linear, cream, half the length 

 of the tube, tube %in. long; petals lanceolate, reflexed; 

 lip elliptic, with bright yellow disk reflexed with scarious 

 margins; column white or cream, linear curved towards 

 the lip. 



22. Vandenheckei, Regel (Mardnta and C. GouUtii, 

 Hort.). Habit dense and tufted, 1-2K ft. high: growths 

 with 1-3 Ivs., usually 2; blade oblique, elliptic or 

 elliptic-ovate, 3-9 in. long, acute, upper side glabrous, 

 rich dark green, marbled with silvery white along the 

 midrib and an irregular undulating line of the same 

 color running the complete circle of the blade, the 

 intervening tissue in some cases will be also entirely 

 composed of this silvery white colored tissue and the 



CALATHEA 



green part reduced to a marginal ring Kin. diam.; 

 these two strikingly distinct forms of Ivs. will often be 

 found on a single plant in adjoining growths; in this 

 case it is not that either of them represent the adult 

 stage, as both are of frequent occurrence on the 

 same plant and both produce infls.; under side, dull 

 purple-red; petiole erect or spreading, dull reddish 

 brown; sheath reaching from one- third to one-half its 

 length, upper part terete or oval: infl. an erect narrow 

 spike, sometimes sessile but more commonly on a 

 peduncle 3-15 in. high; bracts erect, ovate, green 

 tinted with brown, closely adpressed and forming a 

 narrow cone-like mass some 3-5 in. long, the upper pair 

 of bracts always being enlarged and spreading outwards 

 like 2 small elliptic Ivs.: fls. in pairs, white; sepals 

 half the length of the tube; tube %in. long; petals 

 elliptic spreading; column curved, white with brown 

 stripe. A fine stove plant for large or small pots, and 

 on account of its tufted habit is of great use for decora- 

 tion. Of very easy cult. 



23. Lietzei, E. Morr. (Mardnta conspicua, Bull. M. 

 Neiibertii, Hort.). Habit dwarf, spreading by means of 

 runners: growths bearing from 1-7 Ivs. K~2 ft. high; 

 blade obliquely elliptic, acute, undulate, glabrous, 

 3-9 in. long, upper side soft velvety green, striped along 

 the principal veins with dark olive-green and feathered 

 between the veins with splashes of yellowish green, 

 lower side dull purple-red, midrib brown; petiole 3-15 

 in. long, softly tomentose in lower part; sheath extend- 

 ing from one-half to nearly the entire length of the 

 petiole: infl. borne upon long slender leafy sts., which 

 later become swollen and root at the nodes and change 

 to runners, thus forming an easy means of prop: few- 

 fld., bracts green, ovate; fls. in pairs in axil of each 

 bract, pure white, Kin. diam.; sepals linear; petals 

 obovate. Brazil. B.H. 25:273. 



24. picta, Hook. f. (Mardnta picta, Hort.). Habit 

 dense and compact, covered in all parts with soft 

 velvety hairs: growths with 4-10 Ivs. and K~3 ft. 

 high; blade elliptic, undulate, acute, 6-15 in. long, 

 upper side rich velvety olive-green, feathered on either 

 side of the midrib, pale yellowish green; under side rich 

 purple-red; petiole 3-18 in. long, dull red; sheath extend- 

 ing nearly the entire length of the petiole, the upper 

 inch or two being terete, and rather brighter in color 

 than the lower part: infl. a dense cone-like spike, 

 borne on long slender terete sts. 1-3 ft. long and bear- 

 ing 1 or more Ivs. which change into runners after 

 the fls. are over, becoming fleshy and rooting at the 

 nodes, forming a ready means of prop.; bracts 1-2 in. 

 long, erect, elliptic or ovate, pale primrose tinted with 

 rose or violet; fls. in pairs, 1 in. diam., primrose tinted 

 with violet. Brazil. B.M. 7674. G.C. III. 22:293. 



25. noctifldra, Hort. (Mardnta noctiflora, Regel & 

 Krern. M. grdcilis, Hort.). Habit loose and spreading, 

 1-2 K ft- high: growths with 2 or 3 Ivs.; blade elliptic 

 or elliptic-ovate, 6-12 in. long, pendulous or horizontal, 

 upper side pale yellowish green, pinnately striped with 

 rich dark green bars along the principal veins, lower 

 side light green faintly suffused with dull red, the prin- 

 cipal veins being more strongly marked with a deeper 

 shade of red; petiole erect, rigid, 6-18 in. long; sheath, 

 extending to half its length, upper part terete, green. 

 Probably Brazil. Perhaps a true Maranta. 



26. eximia, Kcern. (Phrynium eximium, Koch). 

 Habit loose and spreading: growths bearing 1-3 Ivs., 

 usually 2, and from 1-3 ft. long; blade elliptic or ellip- 

 tic-ovate, acute, 6-15 in. long, upper surface alter- 

 nately striped with rich olive-green and light silver 

 tissue, and arranged in the form of a feather, midrib 

 channeled pale yellowish green, under side rich dark 

 wine-red, glabrous above, softly tomentose with brown 

 hairs beneath; petiole spreading, stout, 1-2 ft. long, 

 lower part light green, reddish brown above, beneath 

 extending from one-third to nearly the entire length of 



