[FAMILY 42.] MARANTACEAE
Herbs or undershrubs. Leaves stalked, with a swelling in the upper part of the stalk, penninerved. Inflorescence spicate, capitate, or paniculate. Flowers irregular and asymmetrical, hermaphrodite. Sepals free. Petals united below. Fertile stamen single, 1-celled. Staminodes 2-4, petal-like. Ovary inferior, 1-or 3-celled. Ovules solitary in each cell, inverted. Style simple; stigma entire or lobed. Seeds with a mealy albumen and a curved embryo.—Genera 12, species 60. Tropics. (Under SCITAMINEAE.) (Plate 25.)
1. Ovary 1-celled. [Tribe MARANTEAE.] 2
Ovary 3-celled, but the ovules of 2 cells sometimes abortive. [Tribe
PHRYNIEAE.] 3
2. Corolla-tube very short. Staminodes 3, one of them with two filiform appendages. Fruit indehiscent. Bracts enclosing one pair of flowers each.—Species 7. Central Africa. Used as ornamental plants. Thalia L.
Corolla-tube long. Staminodes 4. Fruit dehiscent. Bracts enclosing
3 pairs of flowers each.—Species 1 (M. arundinacea L.) Cultivated and sometimes naturalised in the tropics. The root-stock contains starch (arrow-root). Maranta L.
3. Staminodes 2. Fruit winged. Inflorescence spike-like, springing from the root-stock. Bracts enclosing one pair of flowers each.—Species
1. West Africa. The fruits are edible and contain sugar. Thaumatococcus Benth.
Staminodes 4, rarely 3. 4
4. Bracts approximated in one row, enclosing two pairs of flowers each. Ovary with 1 fertile and 2 sterile cells.—Species 1. Madagascar. (Under
Myrosma Benth. or Phrynium Willd.) Ctenophrynium K. Schum.
Bracts in two opposite rows. 5
5. Flower-pairs with small, thickened, almost gland-like scales inserted above the bracts and the 2-keeled bracteoles which usually accompany the bracts. 6
Flower-pairs without gland-like scales above the bracts and bracteoles. 8
6. Ovary and fruit smooth, the latter fleshy. Leaves having the larger half all on the same side. Herbs with a simple stem. Inflorescence panicle-, very rarely spike-like.—Species 13. West Africa. Some have edible fruits. (Under Phrynium Willd. or Phyllodes Lour.) Sarcophrynium K. Schum.
Ovary and fruit covered with pointed protuberances, the latter dry. Leaves having the larger half some on the right, some on the left side. Undershrubs or climbing herbs with a branched stem. Inflorescence spike-like. 7
7. Fruit dehiscent, covered with small protuberances. Seeds with an aril.
Flower-pairs without a bracteole.—Species 1. West Africa. (Under
Trachyphrynium Benth.) Hybophrynium K. Schum.
MARANTACEAE.
FLOW. PL. AFR.
Pl. 25.
J. Fleischmann del.
Clinogyne arillata K. Schum.
A Flowering branch. B Flower.