Purple backed ginger-ish plant? Pleiostachya Pruinosa?

[Merlyn]

I saw this photo in the main palm forum, posted by @LP305.  The closest match I could find was Pleiostachya Pruinosa.  It looked a lot like the leaf shape on my Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) but also doesn't.  The lily doesn't have side branches like this one.  I have a taller ginger Stromanthe Sanguina next to the front door, but it isn't quite like that one.  Any thoughts on an ID?

[Silas_Sancona]

6 hours ago, Merlyn said:

I saw this photo in the main palm forum, posted by @LP305.  The closest match I could find was Pleiostachya Pruinosa.  It looked a lot like the leaf shape on my Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) but also doesn't.  The lily doesn't have side branches like this one.  I have a taller ginger Stromanthe Sanguina next to the front door, but it isn't quite like that one.  Any thoughts on an ID?

Pleiostachya only has two species in the genus, both of which produce flower spikes that are way different looking than the pictured plant..  Would look through Stromanthe on iNat ( 11 listed sp. ) then move on to similar looking Taxa from there..

You could also email to Fairchild, ( thought i saw the poster of the orig. thread mention they'd purchased it from there ) and see if they can ID.

[Merlyn]

@Silas_Sanconayep I found a vaguely related (same Marantaceae family) one in Pleiostachya, but he ID'd it as Marantochloa mannii from Fairchild.  They even have it for sale right now!  

https://orders.fairchildgarden.org/products/marantochloa-mannii

I haven't looked into either species to see if they'll survive mid to upper 20s.  If they burned badly (like a Peace Lily) then grew back quickly, that would be a great colorful addition to shady areas.

[Silas_Sancona]

2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

@Silas_Sanconayep I found a vaguely related (same Marantaceae family) one in Pleiostachya, but he ID'd it as Marantochloa mannii from Fairchild.  They even have it for sale right now!  

https://orders.fairchildgarden.org/products/marantochloa-mannii

I haven't looked into either species to see if they'll survive mid to upper 20s.  If they burned badly (like a Peace Lily) then grew back quickly, that would be a great colorful addition to shady areas.

Looks interesting for sure..  Only thing i'm seeing about Marantochloa is that it appears to originate from swamps in west central / central Africa, which i'd assume means it is quite tropical.. iNat only has 2 pictures of it listed ...a pressed specimen, and a couple photos of the flowers, taken this year from somewhere near Lekoko, Gabon.

That said, there are other plants that come from the same general area on the continent that have shown at least  some  degree of cold tolerance.. Grains Of Paradise / Alligator Pepper being another Ginger- relative that supposedly can withstand ( or at least return from - if cut down by - ) upper-9b / 10a cold exposure, ...so definitely worth a shot.

If you purchased one, i myself would probably grow it out in a large pot for a year or two, then divide ..planting whatever portion divided out in the yard to test. Would hate to drop $45 bucks on something that neat just to watch it get torched by a night or twos- worth of sub 35F cold exposure.  At least w some of it living life in a container, you'll still have the plant.

[miamicuse]

I wonder if I have it's cousin.  I also have a calathea with purple back but the leaves are variegated instead.

I inquired it's ID a few weeks ago as I bought it from a nursery with no tag.

 

[Merlyn]

@miamicuse yeah they are closely related.  The Calathea Ornata that you got (at a steal) is also a member of the family Marantaceae, both are in the "Calathea Clade."  That's a family of the order Zingiberales which includes Gingers, Cannas, Heliconia, Strelizia (bird of paradise) and bananas.  That's probably why I got confused looking up gingers, since they are a related family too.

BTW - I found a similar 3g pot of variegated Lady Di at Lukas Nursery for $70.  So you definitely got a good deal!

[johnnymak]

Pleiostachya pruinosa.