The Marantaceae are a family, the arrowroot family, or the prayer plant family, of flowering plants consisting of 28 genera 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. Many species have only a single stamen and that stamen has only a single locule, an oddity they share only with the genus Canna.
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 28 genera 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.
Phylogenetic tree of the family.
Genera
28 genera are accepted.
- Clade Haumania
- Haumania
- Clade Sarcophrynium
- Hypselodelphys
- Megaphrynium
- Sarcophrynium
- Thaumatococcus
- Trachyphrynium
- Clade Donax
- Donax
- Myanmaranthus
- Phrynium (synonyms Cominsia , Monophrynium , and Phacelophrynium )
- Schumannianthus
- Thalia
- Clade Calathea
- Calathea
- Goeppertia
- Ischnosiphon
- Monotagma
- Pleiostachya
- Sanblasia
- Clade Stachyphrynium
- Afrocalathea
- Marantochloa (synonym Ataenidia )
- Monophyllanthe
- Stachyphrynium
- Clade Maranta
- Ctenanthe
- Halopegia
- Indianthus
- Maranta (synonyms Hylaeanthe and Koernickanthe )
- Myrosma
- Saranthe
- Stromanthe
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. 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. 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.