Jan 29 2019
Marantaceae, the Arrowroot family, is thought to have originated in Africa, though much of its diversity evolved in the tropics of the Americas. Many species from this group are cultivated as houseplants.
The prayer plant, Maranta leuconeura E. Morren was first discovered as a cultivated plant in Brazil and was published as a new species in 1874.
Calathea burle-marxii H. Kenn. Named after Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx. He is credited with discovering numerous Brazilian species, collecting them in the wild and bringing them into cultivation. With such unique cultivated collections and sense of design Burle Marx's garden is a treasure in Brazil. It became a national monument, Sítio Roberto Burle Marx. This plant was first known from the collections in his garden.