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Calathea orbicularis

Ctenanthe burle-marxii

Maranta leuconeura

ZINGIBERALES - PART 3

Zingiberales has been our plant theme in the past two issues (June / September) covering familes such as Heliconiaceae, Zingerberaceae and Costaceae. This issue we will conclude this theme with Marantaceae, Lowiaceae, Strelitziaceae, Musaceae and Cannaceae. MARANTACEAE – the Prayer Plants This is the second largest family in the order with 30 genera and 450-500 species. Genera and their distributions include: Maranta, Calathea, Stromanthe, Ctenanthe and Pleiostachya from Central to South America; Donax, Phrynium and Stachyphrynium from Asia and Melanesia; and Ataenidia, Marantochloa, Thalia and Thaumatococcus from Africa. These plants are extremely popular for the home garden, off ering a great variety of contrasting coloured and patterned foliage for those shady areas. They also come in a variety of sizes from the small Calathea micans, a miniature ground cover from Peru, to the large Calathea lutea or Havana Cigar – both can be seen in the Gardens. Many of these plants have dark maroon coloration underneath their leaves enabling them to utilise any light that may fi lter through a dark rainforest canopy onto the forest fl oor. LOWIACEAE Probably the most unusual family in this order is the single genus Orchidantha, with fi ve to eight species, found in South-east Asia and Pacifi c Islands. This is the most poorly known genus of this order in terms of botany and horticulture, but well worth a visit to the Botanic Gardens to see them when in fl ower. Visitors often ask about the ginger-type plant with its orchid-type fl owers (as the genus name also suggests), and they have a smell all of their own! STRELITZIACEAE – the Birds-of-Paradise There are three genera with seven species of the family, restricted to southern Africa, Madagascar and South America. Unique features are the woody trunk (absent in some Strelitzia), the birdlike appearance of the infl orescence and fl owers, and the woody, capsular fruit.

LOUISA GRANDY

Here’s a side note: common names can be very misleading. For example, due to the name ‘Travellers Palm’, many do not realise that this is not a palm, but a huge ‘Strelitzia’, Ravenala madagascariensis - take note of the fl ower (infl orescence) pictured. The ‘Bird of Paradise’ that many people recognise, Strelitzia parvifolia, is better suited to the sub-tropics and even southern areas where it isn’t quite so humid and wet. It does extremely well in the hot, dry type climates. The tropical wet season can cause rust problems and also rot in these plants. MUSACEAE – the Bananas Although Bananas are restricted mainly to eastern Asia, they also include tropical Africa, Australia and the South Pacifi c. However they have been extensively cultivated and hybridised for thousands of years. Characteristics: large leaves spirally arranged at top of stem and pulpy fruits. There is a small collection of restricted, ornamental, non-edible bananas in the Botanic Gardens near the front lawn that are especially grown for educational purposes. Because these particular species are possible carriers of disease and may be a threat to the banana industry they are carefully monitored. When seeds are on the verge of forming, the fl owers are cut back to ensure these species do not spread to farms. CANNACEAE – the Cannas This solitary genus in the family, with an estimated range of species from nine to 50, is often grown in the home garden for their gloriously showy blooms. Although easily grown in the tropics they seem to be favoured more so in the sub-tropics. NOTE: this is an outline of the Zingiberales order only. There is more information easily obtained from the Cairns Botanic Gardens library, in the Friends House.

Ravenala madagascariensis

Ravenala madagascariensis infl orescence

Musa velutina