Arrowroots (Marantaceae)
The Marantaceae are a family, the arrowroot family, of flowering plants consisting of 31 genera and around 530 species. Species of this family are found in lowland tropical forests of Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
They are commonly called the prayer-plant family due to their daily leaf movement. Plants in this family display Nyctinastic movement in response to light levels. These movements function on a 24-hour clock and occur in all the leaves regardless of their size or age, its a beautiful daily foliage dance. It has never been fully understood why these plants have adapted to display such movement but one theory is that it prevents water from sitting on the leaves and causing fungal disease.
