maranta

American  

[muh-ran-tuh] / məˈræn tə /

noun

1. any of several tropical American plants of the genus Maranta, including arrowroot and several species cultivated as ornamentals for their variegated foliage.

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maranta British  

/ məˈræntə /

noun

1. any plant of the tropical American rhizomatous genus Maranta, some species of which are grown as pot plants for their showy leaves in variegated shades of green: family Marantaceae

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Etymology

Origin of maranta

< New Latin (Linnaeus), after Bartolomeo Maranta (1500–71), Italian physician and botanist

Example Sentences

A sea of green plants — including Oxalis triangularis and maranta lemon lime prayer plants, Alocasia ‘Silver Dragon’ and Hoya engleriana — is spread across three large wooden tables made by local artisan Sarven Manguiat.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2021

The leaf of the pond lily, lotus, canna, maranta, rubber tree, magnolia, camellia, orange, and all leaves which have a waxy surface, should either be varnished or bronzed.

From The Ladies Book of Useful Information Compiled from many sources by Anonymous

Among the utensils I noticed baskets of different shapes, made of flattened maranta stalks, and dyed various colours.

From The Naturalist on the River Amazons by Bates, Henry Walter