Calathea - Maranta Family Member

CALATHEA (kal-ah-thee’-ah). A genus of perennial plants of the Maranta Family having attractively colored foliage and flowers in cones among the leaves. They are tropical plants and should be grown in a close, moist greenhouse with a night temperature not lower than 65 deg. F. The soil should be a mixture of loam, leaf they should be covered with fine sphagnum mold and sand, and the plants should be and the seed-pan should be moistened by shaded from hot sun. In mild climates Calathea may be grown outdoors with winter protection. Propagate by division of crowns, by cuttings in spring, or by tubers.

There are numerous species with leaves colored green, red, brown, yellow or white. Calathea zebrina, the Zebra-plant, from Brazil, has velvety green leaves marked above with crosswise bands of pale yellowish-green and olive-green, and purplish beneath.

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