Species · genus Ctenanthe · Marantaceae

Fishbone Prayer Plant

Ctenanthe burle-marxii H.Kenn.

Growth habit
perennial
Native range
Brazil Southeast
Reference · C. burle-marxii

Cultivars of C. burle-marxii

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under C. burle-marxii yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A low-growing perennial from the shaded understory of southeastern Brazil, this Marantaceae wants warmth, steady moisture, and protection from direct sun, which scorches its patterned leaves. Keep it in bright indirect light and water when the top inch of mix has just begun to dry, allowing slight drying between waterings rather than leaving it soggy. It naturally prefers higher humidity, so expect leaf-edge browning in dry indoor air.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified
Light
ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water
ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d)
Humidity
ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil
ai:claude-fable-5
Care
ai:claude-fable-5
Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 10 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

16–27 °C

Soil mix

Light, moisture-retentive mix with peat and perlite

Propagation

Division of the rhizome at repotting

Fertilizing

Diluted balanced feed monthly in spring and summer

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors; grown for patterned foliage

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Fishbone Prayer Plant yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.

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