Maranta leuconeura

prayer plant
foliage and flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Zingiberales
Family:	Marantaceae
Genus:	Maranta
Species:	M. leuconeura
Binomial name
Maranta leuconeura E.Morren
Synonyms
Calathea leuconeura (E.Morren) G.Nicholson Maranta massangeana E.Morren Calathea kerchoveana (E.Morren) André Maranta kerchoveana E.Morren Maranta kerchovei Van Geert Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana E.Morren Maranta leuconeura var. massangeana (E.Morren) Planch Calathea massangeana (E.Morren) G.Nicholson Maranta massangeana atrata G.Nicholson Maranta massangeana florentina G.Nicholson Maranta massangeana metallica G.Nicholson Maranta leuconeura var. erythroneura G.S.Bunting

Maranta leuconeura (prayer plant) is a species of flowering plant in the family Marantaceae, native to the Brazilian Rainforest. It is a variable, rhizomatous perennial, growing to 30 cm (12 in) tall and broad, with crowded clumps of evergreen, strikingly-marked oval leaves, each up to 12 cm (5 in) long. The leaves have a habit of lying flat during the day, and folding in an erect position at night, hence the common name "prayer plant".

The specific epithet leuconeura means "white-veined", referring to the leaves.

Maranta leuconeura is a well-known houseplant in temperate regions, requiring a minimum temperature of 15 °C (59 °F). In warmer climates it can be grown as groundcover in moist, shady areas. Numerous cultivars have been produced. The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-

Rosmarinic acid can be found in plants in the family Marantaceae such as Maranta leuconeura.

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Wikipedia