MARANTA 



MARATTIA 



1995 



2325. 



Maranta arundinacea. 

 CXjfl 



into a more vigorous growth, when they get a shift into 

 a larger pot early in March. Established plants may be 



Eotted in a rather rough soil consisting of the fiber of 

 >am two parts, flaky leaves one part, a small part of 

 good sharp sand and another part of dried cow-manure. 

 Add a sixth part of broken-up charcoal to the whole 

 compost. Pot moderately firm, by pressure of the 

 hands, and raise the 

 crown a little in the 

 center. In summer, 

 admit plenty of air 

 during the day, and 

 leave a crack of top air 

 on all night. This in- 

 sures a strong healthy 

 growth, and the plants 

 may be used for deco- 

 rative work, without 

 suffering any damage. 

 Tropical plants have 

 been brought into dis- 

 repute by what may 

 be termed the sweat- 

 box treatment, which 

 is entirely unnecessary. 

 A soft flabby growth 

 is the result of such 

 usage. When in active 

 growth, marantas may 

 be watered with ma- 

 nure-water. Cow-ma- 

 nure water and soft-coal soot agree well with them. An 

 ordinary handful to a 2H-gallon watering-pot will be 

 found to be sufficient. Apply after watering twice with 

 clean water. If marantas are well syringed under the 

 leaves, insect pests are not troublesome. If they obtain 

 a foothold, sponge the leaves with some reliable insecti- 

 cide. (George F. Stewart.) 



A. Lvs. green, pubescent beneath 



arundinacea, Linn. Figs. 2324, 2325. Branched, 2-6 

 ft. high, tuberous: Ivs. ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceo- 

 late and pointed, at the base rounded or truncate: fls. 

 white in an open cluster, the upper lip roundish; 

 staminodia surpassing corolla. Trop. Amer.; natural- 

 ized in S. Fla. B.M. 2307. One of the sources of arrow- 

 root, the plant being often called Bermuda arrow-root. 

 The starch is obtained from the roots. It thrives along 

 the Gulf coast, although little cult. There is a form with 

 Ivs. variegated green and yellow. 



AA. Lvs. green, marked with strong parallel light-colored 

 bars extending from midrib toward margin or with 

 a whitish central stripe. 



splendida, Lem. Glabrous: Ivs. 2 ft. or less long, the 

 blade large, oblong-lanceolate, with base subcordate or 

 somewhat cuneate, short-acute at apex, above shining 

 dark green and marked with pale green transverse bars, 

 beneath violet-red. Brazil. I.H. 13:467, 468. By 

 some regarded as Calathea (C. splendida, Regel), but 

 its position is doubtful. Resembles Calathea Veitchiana, 

 but more robust. 



AAA. Lvs. blotched or banded with dark colors (sometimes 

 contrasted with silvery colors). 



leuconeura, Morr. Dwarf, the st. and Ivs. about 1 ft. 

 high, not tuberculate at base: Ivs. oblong or broadly 

 elliptic, usually obtuse or very short-acuminate, gray- 

 ish green, white striped or banded along the veins, and 

 marked with darker green, glaucous or purple beneath; 

 outer staminode white, obovate and emarginate. Native 

 in Brazil. 



Var. Massangeana, Schum. (M. Massangeana, 

 Morr. M. bicolor var. Massangeana, Hort.). Lvs. 

 smaller, beautiful purple beneath : fls. somewhat smaller, 



the se.pals about K m - long: staminode deep violet, 

 somewhat 3-lobed. 



Var. Kerchoveana, Morr. (M. Kerchoveana, Hort.). 

 Lvs. larger, glaucous or red-spotted beneath: fls. larger; 

 staminode entire. 



bicolor, Ker (Calathea bicolor, Steud.). A foot or so 

 high, the st. tuberculate at base: Ivs. linear-oblong or 

 elliptic, rounded or subcordate at the base, more or less 

 wavy on the margin, abruptly short - pointed, light 

 purple below, pale glaucous green above, with a rela- 

 tively light-colored central band and very dark green or 

 brown-green blotches midway between the rib and the 

 margins. Brazil. B.R. 786. L.B.C. 10:921. 



See Stromanthe for M. sanguinea, M. Porteana. 



See Monotagma for M . smaragdina. 



See Ctenanthe for M. Kummeriana, M. Luschnathiana, M. 

 Oppenheimiana, M. setosa. 



See Ischnosiphon for M. bambusacea (M. bambusaefolia?), M. 

 major. 



See Calathea (some of them in the supplementary list) for M. 

 Alberti, M. albo-lineata, M. argyrea, M. Bachemiana, M. Bara- 

 quinii, M. Chantrieri, M. chimboracensis, M. eximia, M. fasciata, 

 M. fascinator, M. Gouletii, M. hieroglyphica, M. illustris, M. insig- 

 nia, M. Lageriana, M. Legrelliana, M. leopardina, M. Lietzii, M. 

 Lindenii, M. Makoyana, M. medio-picta, M. micans, M. musaica, 

 M. nitens, M. ornata, M. picta, M. princeps, M. pulchella, M. rega- 

 lis, M. roseo-lineata, M. rosea-picta, M. Sanderiana, M. tigrina, M. 

 tubispatha, M. Vandenheckei, M. Veitchiana, M. virginalis, M. vit- 

 tata, M. Wagneri, M. Wallisii (Wallichiif), M. Warscewiczii, M. 

 Wiotii, M. zebrina. 



Other marantas with Latinized trade names are in recent lists, 

 but not all "of them are identifiable botanically. M. amdbilis. M. 

 argentea, "large oblong silvery gray Ivs., marked with narrow lines 

 of green." M. betta. Bull (Calathea bella, Regel, which is probably 

 the correct name). Stemless: Ivs. about 6 in. long, oblong, acutish, 

 whitish green above, pale purple beneath. M . Closonii. Lvs. dark 

 green, variegated with pale yellow. Brazil. M. Goveniana. M. 

 iconlfera (a form of Calathea Makoyana?), has Ivs. about 6 in. long, 

 obliquely oval, yellowish green, with oblong, deep green spots or 

 bars. Brazil. M. Liebrechtsidna. Lvs. large, oval, green, decora- 

 tive. Congo. Clinpgyne (?). M.Lubersii. Foliage reticulated with 

 yellow. L. Lujaiana. Lvs. handsome, long - stalked, purple 

 beneath. Halopegia(?). M. mosGlla. M. orbifdlia, "strong grower, 

 olive-green with broad silvery bands." M. Sagoriana. Dwarf: 

 Ivs. oblong, pale green, with oblong-oblique, deep green bars on 

 each side of the midrib. S. Amer. M . Spitzeriana. M. triumphans. 

 M. undulata, Lind. & Andr6 (properly Calathea undulata, Regel). 

 Six to 8 in. high, compact: Ivs. ovate-oblong, the blade about 4 in. 

 long, subcordate and unequal at base, very short-pointed, the sur- 

 face undulate, beneath purplish, above deep shining green, with a 

 whitish feathery stripe through the center. Peru. I.H. 19:98. 



L. H. B. 



MARATTIA (name from J. F. Maratti, an Italian 

 botanist of the 17th century). Marattidcese. A genus 

 of large, coarse-lvd. stipulate tropical ferns with the 

 large fleshy sporangia borne in boat-shaped groups on 

 the under surface of the If. The species are strong- 

 growing and ornamental, some of them reaching con- 

 siderable size. Besides the following, there are several 

 American species which deserve cult. For cult, require- 

 ments, see Angiopteris, p. 1214. 



2326. Marattia fraxinea. ( X Ys) 



fraxinea, Smith (M. elegans, Endl.) Fig. 2326. St. 

 erect, tuberous: Ivs. bipinnate, 6-15 ft. long, the stalks 

 often 1 in. or more thick; pinnules 4-6 in. long, J^-1J^ 

 in. wide, of a leathery texture and naked surfaces: recep- 

 tacles submarginal. W. Afr. to Malaysia and New Zeal. 



M. Stanleyana, Hort., has not been sufficiently described to be 

 identifiable. L> M _ UNDERWOOD. 



