Maranta leuconeura É. Morren (1874b: 323)

Saka, Mariana Naomi, Moraes, Pedro Luís Rodrigues De, Lombardi, Julio Antonio & Diagre-Vanderpelen, Denis, 2017, Nomenclatural notes on Marantaceae described by Édouard Morren, Phytotaxa 329 (3), pp. 243-252 : 249-250

12. Maranta leuconeura É. Morren (1874b: 323)

Neotype (designated here):—[illustration] tab. IX in Morren (1875b).

= Maranta leuconeura var. massangeana É. Morren (1875c: 178)

Lectotype (designated here):—[illustration] tab. X in Morren (1875c).

= Maranta leuconeura É.Morren var. kerchoveana É.Morren (1879: 77)

Lectotype (designated here):—[illustration] tab. V in Morren (1879).

= Maranta leuconeura É.Morren var. erythroneura G.S. Bunting (1966: 45)

Holotype:— Plant secured from Julius Roehrs Co., Rutherford , New Jersey, 10 December 1965 (fl.), G.S. Bunting 1653 (BH, digital image!).

= Maranta depressa É.Morren (1880: 97)

Lectotype (designated here):—[illustration] tab. VI in Morren (1880).

= Maranta fascinator L. Linden & Rodigas (1894: 105)

Lectotype (designated here):—[illustration] tab. VII in Linden & Rodigas (1894)

Note:— Maranta leuconeura was introduced into cultivation from Brazil by Jacob-Makoy nursery. Although it was published in 1874 with a diagnosis, Morren did not cite any collection or present an associated illustration. A year later he published a more detailed description of this species, including information about its flowers and a plate. This illustration is here chosen as neotype because it clearly represents the habit, inflorescence and flowers, the latter dissected.

Maranta leuconeura var. massangeana was described soon after M. leuconeura , as a homage to Mr. Ferdinand Massange-de-Louvrex, a botanic enthusiast.Also originated from Brazil, it was described as having broader leaves than M. leuconeura and brownish macules on the leaf blade. The flowers are described as being identical to M. leuconeura ( Morren 1875c: 178) . It is lectotypified with the illustration published together with the original description, as M. leuconeura var. kerchoveana . The latter, named after count Oswald de Kerchove, is also reported as originated from Brazil and was described as having a similar leaf ornamentation pattern as Calathea pardina Planch. & Linden (1856: 53) , i.e. purplish macules on adaxial side of the leaf blade. Nevertheless variability in leaf blade ornamentation in Marantaceae is observed occurring within individuals in the same population, probably due to edaphic factors—in conclusion, these two varieties are placed as synonyms under M. leuconeura .

Maranta leuconeura var. erythroneura was described by Bunting as a new name for M. fascinator L.Linden & Rodigas , which was considered a doubtful name by him ( Bunting 1966: 45). It is based on a cultivated plant in the United States of unknown origin, and with bright red primary lateral veins at leaf blade and mauve petaloid staminodes as diagnostic features. The recognition of varieties based on color variation can be quite confusing, as denoted by the author himself ( Bunting 1966: 46): M. leuconeura var. massangeana (as it is known under cultivation in the United States) leaves are described by Bunting as having white veins, being a superfluous name that should be considered synonym of M. leuconeura var. leuconeura ; while M. leuconeura var. kerchoveana leaves are described as having ‘chocolate-brown blotches’—these descriptions do not agree with the original ones for these two varieties. In conclusion, the variety described by Bunting is also placed as a synonymy under M. leuconeura .

Maranta depressa was sent to Belgium from Brazil by Mr. Lietze, a collector for Jacob-Makoy’s nursery. It is described as having the same leaf ornamentation as M. leuconeura var. kerchoveana (Morren 1880: 97) , but with pending or creeping branches. However, because the other morphological characteristics described to this species are not consistently different from the M. leuconeura , M. depressa is considered a synonym under the former. The lectotype of M. depressa is the illustration published with the original description.

Maranta fascinator was described from a specimen collected in Bahia, Brazil, by Mr. Claes, a collector for ‘L’Horticulture Internationale’, a nursery located in Brussels, Belgium ( Linden & Rodigas 1894: 105). This species is described as being similar to M. bicolor Ker Gawl. (1824: tab. 786), but considered closely-related to varieties of M. leuconeura based on inflorescence morphology, differing by the red-veined leaves. The illustration presented with the original description was chosen as lectotype. Apart from the red-veined leaves, there are no other features that distinguish M. fascinator from M. leuconeura , and therefore this name is considered a synonym under the latter.