Family Marantaceae
Description: Herbs, perennial, with rhizomes. Aerial stems unbranched.
Leaves in a basal cluster, differentiated into basal sheath, petiole and blade; sheaths often overlapping, supporting stem, summit of petiole distinctly differentiated as pulvinus (i.e. region of specialised cells controlling leaf movement, differing in colour from petiole); blade with lateral veins parallel, diverging from prominent midrib.
Inflorescences 1-several per aerial shoot, terminal or terminal and lateral on aerial stem, scapose or pedunculate, compound, much branched, bracteate; each bract enclosing pair of flowers or cincinnus of paired flowers. Flowers bisexual, asymmetric, paired flowers mirror images of each other; sepals and petals differentiated, sepals 3, distinct, petals 3, corolla, staminodes, and style fused basally into tube; fertile stamens 1; anthers 1-locular; staminodes 3–4, outer staminodes 1–2, petal-like, inner staminodes 2, one fleshy (callose staminode), one hooded (cucullate staminode), bearing 2 appendages, subterminal, finger-like; ovary inferior, 3-carpellate, 3-locular, 1 locule fertile; placentation basal; ovules 1 per locule; terminal portion of style and stigma enclosed in cucullate staminode, explosively released, stout, appendaged; stigma cup-shaped.
Fruit a capsule, indehiscent; sepals often persistent in fruit. Seeds: aril present; endospermum scanty or absent; perisperm copious; embryo curved.
Distribution and occurrence: World: 31 genera and c. 530 species from lowland tropics of Asia and Africa, mainly (80%) in American tropics, occasionally subtropics, southern United States to northern Argentina. Australia: 1 species naturalised, N.S.W., WA.
External links:
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (Family: Marantaceae, Order: Zingiberales)
Wikipedia
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