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CTENANTHE Ctenanthe is native to Brazil. Similar to the Calathea, Ctenanthe is mainly grown for its beautiful foliage. These plants are sometimes known by the name 'Phrynium'. Below is a list of species that are grown here.
Ctenanthe kummeriana Ctenanthe kummeriana grows as a clump up to about 60 cm. On the upper side, lancoate green leaves have a distinctive white mid rib with rather feint white stripes that radiate from it and the undersides are purple.
Ctenanthe setosa Ctenanthe setosa will grow up to 90 cm high and has narrow, lanceoate green leaves, which are patterned with silver bands that radiate from the mid rib. The leaves are maroon on the reverse. MARANTA Maranta can be regarded as the "true" prayer plant as it exhibits the most conspicuous habit of folding up its leaves in response to low light intensity, compared to all other prayer plants described in this article. If you refer to any houseplant book for the prayer plant, you get Maranta. "Maranta" is derived from the name of the Venetian physician and botanist, Bartolomea Maranti. Maranta leuconeura cultivars are the ones commonly grown as houseplants. They are low-growing plants that adopt a prostrating habit and are indigenous to Brazil. The stems of Maranta leuconeura are not swollen at the nodes and the roots are not tuberous, unlike those of Maranta arundinacea.
Maranta leuconeura
Maranta leuconeura `Leuconeura' Known as the 'Silver Feather Maranta' or 'Black Maranta', Maranta leuconeura `Leuconeura' has a distinctive fishbone pattern on the top side of its leaves, which extends from the mid rib and outwards from a green central zone to an almost black outer background. STROMANTHE
THAUMATOCOCCUS
In Singapore, Thaumatococcus daniellii can be found planted en masse in gardens, inside a large planter box or in a row to serve as a garden hedge or to conceal a boring wall. Interestingly, Thaumatococcus daniellii is better known for its use as a sweetener in its native country and hence its local name of 'Miracle Fruit'.
The translucent flesh of the fruit contains the protein, thaumatin, which is purportedly said to be several hundred times sweeter than table sugar! Thaumatin has already been approved as a food additive and alternative sweetener in the European Union as well as in many other countries. CULTURE
OF PRAYER PLANTS Prayer plants are easy to grow as outdoor plants as long as they are grown in a cool and shady corner in the garden. The plants need to be given ample water just enough to keep their feet moist but not soggy. Hence, drainage is important. Apartment gardeners will find them difficult to please. Most of the problems encountered by apartment gardeners can be attributed to those arising from less than ideal growing conditions such as the lack of humidity and excessive wind, often encountered in the high-rise growing environment. LIGHT Prayer
plants should be grown in spot that is away from direct sunlight,
otherwise, the plants may suffer from sun scorch/burn. Sunburnt
plants will show symptoms of irregularly bleached areas on the affected
leaves. Overly hot conditions can also cause the leaves to roll
up. Although regarded as shade plants, prayer plants should not be grown in deep shade. They do better in positions where they can get a little filtered sunlight and this is especially crucial for the cultivation of outdoor flowering Calathea species as this aids flower production. The same guideline applies to prayer plants grown as houseplants. Sufficient light in the form of filtered sunlight is required for prayer plants to keep their vibrant coloration. HUMIDITY Outdoor gardeners usually do not face the problem of insufficient humidity. Apartment gardeners should attempt to keep the relative humidity on the high side of around 70% if they are to grow these demanding plants successfully at home. Try to grow the plant in a position that is exposed to the open environment to take advantage of the exteriors' humidity. Remember that increased air temperature in an enclosed room will lower the environment's humidity. When grown in an environment of low humidity for prolonged periods, the leaves may roll up and become prime spots for spider mites. AIR CIRCULATION Prayer plants should not be exposed to excessive wind as it will cause 'wind burn' where desiccation of the plant takes place. Plants respond by rolling up their leaves to indicate their displeasure and to reduce further moisture loss. POTTING MEDIUM In general, prayer plants like to be grown in a free-draining mix. Prayer plants also prefer a moisture retentive mix that is high in organic matter. Prayer plants in the garden appreciate the addition of organic compost to the soil. This helps to keep their roots cool in our hot climate. Container gardeners must take note that they like to be pot-bound and hence try not to over-pot in too big a container. But do watch out for the symptoms of lack of water in pot-bound plants as less potting media translates into less moisture being retained. WATER Water regularly to ensure the soil remains moist but not soggy. The plants may benefit from slight drying out before the next watering. However, it is important to not to allow the soil to become overly dry for prolonged periods. Like in the case of excessive dessication, thirsty plants will roll up their leaves. Do not allow water to remain for prolonged periods on the leaves so as to minimize the incidence of fungal spots. FEEDING On a regular basis, feed plants with a slow release balanced fertiliser or one that promotes leaf growth (higher nitrogen (N) ratio) at a rate and amount recommended by the manufacturer. Water-soluble fertiliser may also be used monthly but must be more diluted. Prayer plants are sensitive to salt accumulation at the root zone. Flush the root zone with water regularly to reduce accumulation of unabsorbed fertiliser salts. Excessive salt accumulation will result in the burning of leaf margins. PRUNING After flowers fade, some growers cut the entire shoot down to ground level, a method that is commonly practised in Heliconia. When left untouched, the shoot will slowly die away. PROPAGATION Prayer plants are most easily propagated via division of big clumps. Each division preferably should have several plants to ensure stronger growth. Propagation using a single rhizome will have a low success rate as it may be too weak to support robust, new growth. Mist the division often and it keep out of direct sunlight to minimise water loss. PESTS & DISEASES Pests that affect prayer plants grown outdoors include grasshoppers and caterpillars which ravage their leaves and make them unsightly. These have to manually caught and killed. Mealybugs can also infest the leaf axils, the undersides of leaves and the roots, for both indoor and outdoor situations. Spider mites will appear on the undersides of leaves when the air is too dry, as a peppery veneer scattered with minute webbing. Small scale insects which appear as golden brown grains on the leaves may also attack weaker plants. These sucking pests produce secretions which not only attract ants, but promote the growth of unsightly sooty mould. The mould can be wiped off with a damp cloth or treated with fungicide. Use insecticides as directed by the manufacturer. Root mealybugs can be eradicated by drenching the potting mix with insecticides like Malathion. REFERENCES Books: Virginie F. & George A. Elbert. 1989. Foliage plants for decorating indoors: plants, design, maintenance for homes, offices, and interior gardens. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. Useful Web-based Resources (assessed on 10 June 2006): Cultural Information Poole R.T., Chase A.R. & Osborne L.S. Calathea Production Guide. CFREC-A Foliage Plant Research Note RH-91-9. http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/foliage/folnotes/calathea.htm Poole R.T., Chase A.R. & Osborne L.S. Maranta Production Guide. CFREC-A Foliage Plant Research Note RH-91-22. http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/foliage/folnotes/maranta.htm Commercial Websites Aloha Tropicals. http://www.alohatropicals.com Flowercouncil - Flower and Plant Bank. http://www.flowercouncil.org/int/plantscope/default.asp Plant Group Co., Ltd. http://www.plant-group.com Twyford International. http://www.twyford.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Green
Culture Singapore would like to express our gratitude to National
Parks Board (NParks) and Ryan Su for allowing us to use the pictures
of Ctenanthe and flowering Calathea, respectively, in this
feature article.
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