MARANTACEAE  

Erect, perennial marsh plants with a basal rosette of leaves and an often very elaborate synflorescence. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, rounded or subcordate at base. Inflorescence paniculate, with slender branches; bracts subtending flower pairs boat-shaped, deciduous; bracteoles absent. Calyx of 3 very small, similar, hyaline sepals. Petals free but adnate to staminal tube for a very short distance, membranous. Androecium: outer staminode 1, petaloid, showy; hood-shaped staminode with 2 appendages near middle of lobe, both pointing down into staminal tube; callose staminode firm and fleshy with a petaloid margin; fertile stamen with a petaloid appendage. Ovary 1-locular, with a single ovule; style helically twisted when triggered, with a very long, lip-like protrusion from ventral rim of stigmatic orifice. Fruit caryopsis-like, with very thin pericarp. Seed with a small 2-lobed aril; perisperm canal branched from base.

Rhizomatous, erect perennial herbs; stems simple, bearing an inflorescence and a single subtending leaf. Leaves arising either singly from stem or directly from rhizome; petiole sometimes up to 5 m long; blade elliptic,

Subscandent, much branched perennials with bamboo-like shoots simple below and clothed with sheathing coriaceous cataphylls, branched and leafy above. Leaves: petiole jointed shortly above top of sheath; blades asymmetric. Inflorescence terminal, simple or sometimes branched at base, spike-like with a jointed rachis and a 2-flowered cymule at each distichous node, each flower subtended by a small fleshy bracteole. Corolla: tube

Rosulate marsh plants with short rhizome and simple stems. Leaves: petiole very long, sheathing in lower half, terete towards apex; lamina elongate-oblong. Inflorescence a simple or sparsely branched synflorescence; florescence consisting of a single cymule; axes conspicuously flattened and furrowed; bracts persistent, imbricate; bracteoles absent. Sepals markedly unequal. Corolla: tube very short to absent. Androecium: outer staminode(s) 1, or 2 very unequal; callose staminode conspicuous, with narrow petaloid margin; hooded staminode with a simple often

Acaulescent rhizomatous herbs with leaves and inflorescences on separate shoots. Leaves 1 or 2; lamina elliptic to lanceolate, glabrous; petiole up to twice as long as lamina,