1994 



MAPAMA 



MARANTA 



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Miilay peninsuhi to Austral. (Pandaimpli lilliim hijpolij- 

 tro'iiies. V. MuoU. Hi/pfili/tnim I'andaiiophi'/tluiii, V. 

 MuoJl.). Thi^i much-nameil plant is soparatoil by C". B. 

 t'hirko as Thuracotslciclnium hi/jmhjtronlix, Clarke, a 

 Kt'nus ililToriii): froni. Majiania in its iMiyiiihosi' rather 

 than eonseste.1 spikes. The Ivs. are ilescriheil as 4 ft. 

 long iind 1-2 in. broad, with scabrous edges: lower- 

 most involucral braets 1-2 ft. Ion;; and '-j-l in. broad, 

 tapering to long points: si)ikelets very lunnerous, 

 whitish. 



.Apparently the only other species recently offered 

 rt'gularly is M. hiiiiiitix. N'aves iV Vill. (.U. liicUia, N.E. 

 Br.l. Rhizome short and woody, terminating in a sliort 

 St . or crown bearing a to]) of densely equitant Ivs., which 

 arc 2-3 ft. long. ;i-nerved, sharp 

 on margins and kix-l: scapes 

 from the lower axils, the mature 

 infl. ovoid, the bracts shorter 

 than the head. Imlia. 



L. H. B. 



MAPLE: Acer. Flowering M. 



ttlon. 



MAPROUNEA (Guiana 

 name). Sometimes spelled Ma- 

 prowiia. Euphorhincc:i. Trees 

 and shrubs, not in cult., but used 

 for medicine and the _ 



like, in their native 

 land. Glabrous: juici 

 milky: Ivs. entire, 

 pinnately veined: 

 infl. terminal; fls. 

 apetalous, monteci- 

 ous; staminate calyx 

 2-.3-lobed, lobes im- 

 bricate; stamens l-.'J, 

 filaments connate; 

 ovary 3 -celled; 1 

 ovule in eac^h cell: seed carunculatc 

 s|)ecie.s in Trop. .\mer. and Afr. llelaled 

 to Stillingia and llippoinane. M. hrasili- 

 cnsis, St. Hil., M.\hmeliek.\ ue Campo, 

 and M. guyantnxis, .\ubl., Menudito, of 

 Trop. S. Amer., are the chief sjiecies. 



J. B. S. NoUTON. 



MARANG, .1 rincarpus odorati.txima, of 

 the family Mnrana-, is a recently dis- 

 covered fruit-tree from the southern Philij)- 

 pines and the .Sulu .Vrchipclago, which has 

 been introiluced to the United States and 

 is thought to pos.sess considerable value 

 for tropical regions, though it will i)r()b- 

 ably succeed only in verj' warm and humid 

 climates. It belongs to the same genus as 

 the bread-fruit (.'1. incina,) and the jak, or 

 jack-fruit (.-1. integrifnl ia) , but is said by 

 Wester, who first brought it to the atten- 

 tion of horticulturists, to produce a fruit 

 superior in quality to the Philippine forms of either of 

 these. The tree is me<lium-sized, and similar in habit 

 to the brcarl-fruit, with large, dark green, entire or 

 trilobate leaves 18 to 24 inches long by 10 to 12 inches 

 broad. Wester flescribes the fniit as "1,-irge, about ti 

 inche.s long .and .5 inches in equatorial diameter, round- 

 ish oblong, regular, thickly studded on the outside 

 with soft greenish yellow spines J 3 inch in length; rind 

 thick and fleshy ; flesh white, sweet, rich, juicy, aromatic 

 and of goo<l flavor, separatefl into segments (of altout the 

 size of a grap<;) clinging to the core, each scgrm^nt con- 

 taining a seed; the .feeds many, whitish, '.J by '5 of an 

 inch, smooth, separating readily from the flesh. When 

 the fruit is ripe, by pa.ssing a knife arournl an<l through 

 the rind, with a little care the halves may be .sepanited 

 from the flesh, leaving this like a bunch of white grapes." 

 It Ls said to ripen during August in the Vhilippines. For 



species related to A.odoralissima, Blanco, .see the art iile 

 Arlnoirpim. pages 101,402, Vol. I. p. ■\v p,„.knoe. 



MARANTA (B. Maranta, Venetian Physi(uan and 

 botanist, (lied 17.VI). Miiniiiliici:v. Greenhouse pot 

 plants, grown mostly for the foliage. 



Pereimi.d herbs, tall or low, erect or prostrate, the 

 flowering part more or less branched: Ivs. petiolate, 

 radical and ca\iline: fls. racemose or ]>aniculate; .sepals 

 3, equal, lanceolate or huicc'-oblong; corolla more or 

 less tubular, usually enlarged or gibbous at base, the 3 

 lobes subeiiual and somewhat hooded at- the apex; 

 2 exterior staminodia |M'l:il-lik<', usually obovate, 

 showy; ovary 1-celled !)v abortion. — .S])ccies 23 in the 

 Monograph by Schunuum (lift. 11, 

 Das Pflanzenreich, 1!)()2), in Trop. 

 Amer. Most of the ))lants cult, as 

 marantas are calatheas; and the true 

 marantas are treated the same as those 

 [)lants. These plants are often nanieil 

 X'fore the flowers are knowii, and 

 .some of the following plants may be- 

 long to the genua 

 Calathea. The genus 

 yields arrow-root (p. 

 3'.)7). 



The culture of ma- 

 ranta is that of cala- 

 thea, which is de- 

 tailed in Vol. II, p. 

 619; but the direc- 

 tions may be reviewed 

 from another experience. The 

 marantas are grown for the hand- 

 some markings of the leaves, and 

 for making complete foliage 

 groups. — They are increased by 

 division of the crowns, which may 

 be accomplished just as they are 

 starting into growth in the sjiring. 

 Large i)lants are the best to use 

 for cutting up, as they have strong 

 crowns, and under proper treat- 

 ment will fonn a plant more 

 (|uicl;ly. Tlie loam should be 

 washed from the root with a hose 

 under gentle pressure. This gives 

 an opi)ortunity to see where is the 

 best place in the crown for divi- 

 sion. A sharp knife must be used 

 to give a clean cut, which will heal 

 more quickly. It is also a good 

 plan to cover the cut part with 

 powdered charcoal, which is a great 

 help in the prevention of decay. 

 The cut-up pieces may be potted 

 in equal ])arts of the fiber of loam, 

 flaky leaves, and sharp sand; atld 

 .also a small part of broken char- 

 coal. The i)ot should be big enough to admit the roots 

 without breaking or crushing them and they nmst be 

 sui)i)lieil with good drainage. — Marantas like abundance 

 of moisture at their roots. The water, however, must 

 pass fr('ely through them, otherwise they soon get into a 

 •sour stagnant condition. Divided plants should be kei>t 

 in a temperatun^ of not less than 11.')° an<l the house must 

 be kei)t in a himiid condition by light syringing, and 

 dampening between the |)ots on the bench, and in the 

 paths. (Change the air in the house by ventilating, as 

 .soon .as the thermometer reaches 7.')°. Sha<le the pl.ants 

 from e.arly spring until late autunm, as the bright 

 sunshine will soon <lestroy the foliage and make the 

 plants unsightly. l{epotting is not necessaiy imtil the 

 following spring. — In December, .lanuarv' and February, 

 marantas may be allowed to get quite dry at the roots 

 before watering. By this treatment they .seem to start 



Maranta arundinacea. (X' 



