Marantaceae

The Marantaceae are a family, the arrowroot family, of flowering plants consisting of 31 genera and around 530 species, defining it as one of the most species-rich families in its order.Kennedy, H. (2000). “Diversification in pollination mechanisms in the Marantaceae”. Pp. 335-343 in Monocots: systematics and evolution, eds. K. L. Wilson and D. A. Morrison. Melbourne: CSIROLey, A. C., and Claßen-Bockhoff, R. (2011). “Evolution in African Marantaceae - evidence from phylogenetic, ecological and morphological studies”. Syst. Bot. 36, 277–290. doi: 10.1600/036364411X569480 Species of this family are found in lowland tropical forests of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The majority (80%) of the species are found in the American tropics, followed by Asian (11%) and African (9%) tropics. They are commonly called the prayer-plant family and are also known for their unique secondary pollination presentation.

Description

The plants usually have underground rhizomes or tubers. The leaves are arranged in two rows with the petioles having a sheathing base. The leaf blade is narrow or broad with pinnate veins running parallel to the midrib. The petiole may be winged, and swollen into a pulvinus at the base.

The inflorescence is a spike or panicle, enclosed by spathe-like bracts. The flowers are small and often inconspicuous, irregular, and bisexual, usually with an outer three free sepals and an inner series of three petaloid-like segments, tube-like in appearance. The fruit is either fleshy or a loculicidal capsule.

Taxonomy

The APG II system, of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system, 1998), also recognizes this family, and assigns it to the order Zingiberales in the clade commelinids in the monocots. The Marantaceae are considered the most derived family in this group due to the extreme reduction in both stamens and carpels.

The family consists of 29 genera with about 570 known species, found in the tropical areas of the world except in Australia. The biggest concentration is in the Americas, with seven genera in Africa, and six in Asia.

Seed dispersal

Arilated seeds of Marantaceae are dispersed mainly by birds and mammals. In Amazonia, crickets and ants are important secondary dispersers.

Phytochemistry

Rosmarinic acid can be found in plants in the family Marantaceae such as species in the genera ''Maranta'' (''Maranta leuconeura'', ''Maranta depressa'') and '' Thalia'' (''Thalia geniculata'').

Rapid plant movement: secondary pollination presentation

Marantaceae have a distinctive pollination mechanism that is defined by an explosive style movement. It is commonly termed explosive because the action is swift, occurs only one time for each flower, and is irreversible.Pischtschan E, Claßen-Bockhoff R (2008). “Setting-up tension in the style of Marantaceae”. Plant Biol 10:441–450. doi:10.1111/j.1438-8677.2008.00051.x This quick pollination event plays a significant role in optimizing mating and has been hypothesized to be a factor in the high level of speciation within this family. There are two parts of the floral anatomy that contribute to the explosive pollination mechanism: the style and the hooded staminode.

The secondary pollination presentation begins after a mechanical stimulus is introduced by a pollinator on the trigger appendage of the hooded staminode.Jerominek M., Claßen-Bockhoff R. (2015). “Electrical signals in prayer plants (Marantaceae)? Insights into the trigger mechanism of the explosive style movement”. PLoS One 10:e0126411. 10.1371/journal.pone.0126411 Touching this trigger causes the release of the style from the contacted staminode, leading to rapid inward rolling of the style which is no longer being held under high tension.Claßen‐Bockhoff R. (1991). “Investigations on the Construction of the Pollination Apparatus of Thalia geniculata (Marantaceae)”. Botanica Acta, 74, 183–193. During this quick rolling movement, self pollen (located on top of the style) is deposited on the pollinator while cross-pollen is scooped off the pollinator into the stigmatic cavity. This single action occurs very quickly with the full movement being clocked in at around 0.03 seconds.

Uses

The most well-known species in the family is arrowroot ('' Maranta arundinacea''), a plant of the Caribbean, grown in parts of the Caribbean, Australasia, and sub-Saharan Africa for its easily digestible starch known as arrowroot. It is grown commercially in the West Indies and tropical Americas.

Several species of genus '' Goeppertia'' are grown as houseplants for their large ornamental leaves, which are variegated in shades of green, white, and pink. Other genera grown for houseplants includes '' Stromanthe'', '' Ctenanthe'', and '' Maranta''.

''Calathea lutea'' has tough, durable leaves used to make waterproof baskets, and in the Caribbean and Central America, its leaves are used for roofing. Two Mexican species - ''C. macrosepala'' and ''C. violacea'' - have flowers that are cooked and used as vegetables. '' C. allouia'' or leren, from the West Indies and tropical America, is known as sweet corn root for its edible tuber.

''Schumannianthus dichotomus'' is used for weaving mats to use on floors and beds.

See also

* List of foliage plant diseases (Maranthaceae)

References

Bibliography

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External links

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Marantaceae in the ''Flora of North America''Marantaceae in the ''Flora of China''links at CSDLOverview of family and genera

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Commelinid families