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Calathea crotalifera Calathea crotalifera S. Watson
Rattlesnake Plant Family: Marantaceae The rattlesnake plant’s flowerlike yellow spike looks a great deal like a rattler’s tail. The plants are native to regions between Nicaragua and Ecudaor. It is naturalized in Hawai‘i now. I see this plant variously called Calathea crotalifera S. Watson, Calathea insignis, and Calathea lancifolia. But these plants differ significantly, and only C. crotalifera has the distinctive yellow rattler flowerheads. Identification: The yellow spike that is this plant’s namesake is a set of bracts (modified leaves)—the true flowers are small and purple, poking out of the sides of the leaves. Online References:
Calathea crotalifera on Wikimedia Commons Calathea crotalifera on Forest & Kim Starr's Plants of Hawaii site Calathea crotalifera on Hawaiian Plants and Tropical Flowers Calathea crotalifera on the USDA Plants Database Calathea crotalifera on SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network Calathea crotalifera description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 22 Feb 2012. © FloraFinder.com. All rights reserved. |
8/21/2004 · Hawaii Botanical Gardens, HI Range:
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