Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: South America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Uncommon

About

The prayer plant folds its leaves upward each night in a rhythmic movement called nyctinasty, resembling hands pressed together in prayer. Native to Brazilian rainforests, its oval leaves display bold fishbone-patterned white veins and burgundy undersides.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Marantaceae
Genus: Maranta
Species: Maranta leuconeura