FoI
Painted Calathea
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Painted Calathea
P Introduced Photo: Preetha P.S.
Common name: Painted Calathea
Botanical name: Goeppertia picturata    Family: Marantaceae (Arrowroot family)
Synonyms: Calathea picturata, Maranta picturata, Maranta vandenheckei

Painted Calathea is a clump-forming evergreen perennial herb growing up to 35-40 cm. The leaves, on a dark purple leaf-stalk, about 20 cm long, are simple, oblong-elliptic with pointed tip and entire margin, asymmetrical in respect to the central nervation, 18-25 cm long and 8-10 cm broad, above glossy intense green with a grey-silver irregular stripe along the central nervation and two parallel lateral ones on the margins, below of violaceous purple color. The plant blooms in summer from the compact spikes inflorescence, about 10 cm long, formed by persistent overlapping bracts of greenish colour suffused of purple enclosing bisexual flowers with 3 white-greenish sepals and white tubular 3-lobed flower. The flowers are fairly insignificant and do not have any fragrance. Painted Calathea is native to Brazil, cultivated elsewhere.

Identification credit: Preetha P.S. Photographed in cultivation in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

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