A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Calathea sp.
This looks like some kind of weird Heliconia plant but the flowering stalk resembles the rattle of a Rattlesnake, with tiny flowers peeking out. However, it is a species of Calathea in the Marantaceae family. It might be C. crotalifera, known as the Red Rattle, for it's resemblance to a rattlesnake rattle.
River ravine of the Corazon de Fortin, Fortin de Las Flores, Veracruz, Mexico.
These pictures were taken by my husband Renato Zárate while we were exploring the ravine.
Spotted on Feb 22, 2013
Submitted on Mar 12, 2013
3 Comments
They could be the same. I am not sure. I am not a great Calathea I.D'er. i think Calathea sp is just fine for now.
Thank you Larry for all the information. It is fascinating. It might be Calathea crotalifera, the Red Rattle? The picture in the link below looks very much the same, only taken from the back side? http://www.montosogardens.com/calathea_c....
Well, that was a real good guess Lauren. This is in the same family as the Rattlesnake plant. However it isn't a heliconia. It is a Calathea. Calatheas are in the Marantaceae family and Heliconia are in the Heliconiaceae. They both share the same order Zingiberales. Many Calathea will trick you into thinking they are a heliconia because their foliage is quite similar. Once they bloom they will always show they are not a heliconia as the flowers are quite different. I wish I could tell you which species but I am not sure