Plant
Ctenanthe burle-marxii
Ctenanthe burle-marxiiAlso known as Fishbone Prayer Plant, Burle Marx's Ctenanthe, Fishbone Plant
Ctenanthe burle-marxii carpets shaded floors across the tropical forests of Brazil, spreading outward through dense networks of creeping rhizomes. Specialized cellular joints called pulvini flex at dusk, tilting the striking fishbone-patterned leaves upright into a nocturnal prayer posture before lowering them at dawn. The silvery-green leaf surfaces and deep purple undersides optimize light capture in dense, sun-starved understory canopies.
TropicalFoliage PlantPerennial
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAutotrophic (photosynthesis)
Predators
- Spider mites
- Mealybugs
- Slugs
ThreatsDeforestation and habitat fragmentation
HabitatsTropical rainforest understory, moist coastal Atlantic Forest
Life spanPerennial (indefinite via rhizomes)
Classification
- OrderZingiberales
- FamilyMarantaceae
- GenusCtenanthe
- SpeciesCtenanthe burle-marxii
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance and non-toxic to pets.
Responsible observation
- Lighting: Provide bright, filtered shade to prevent direct sunlight from bleaching the leaves.
- Humidity: Maintain high atmospheric humidity to prevent browning leaf margins.
Same Genus (c) Diogo Luiz, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Same Genus (c) alessandradalia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by alessandradalia · cc-by-sa
Same Family João Medeiros / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Same Family (c) Eric Watts, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Same Family (c) lcchacon21, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by lcchacon21 · cc-by
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Windowsill Flora
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