Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Calathea crotalifera
S.Watson, Marantaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk; score: 8 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Calathea crotalifera)

Other Latin names:  (no synonyms in GRIN); Calathea insignis Petersen and Calathea insignis Petersen ex Eggers (illeg.); Calathea quadratispica Woodson; Calathea sclerobractea K. Schum.; Phyllodes insigne (Petersen) Kuntze; Phyllodes insignis (Petersen) Kuntze

Common name(s): [more details]

English: rattleshake shaker, rattlesnake ginger, rattlesnake plant, yellow rattleshaker

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Large herb 5-8' tall. Lvs 3-6; peti green, pulvinus yellow-green, glabrous, 2.5-7" long; blades ovate, 12-35" x 6-21", upper side deep green, often lighter along midvein, underside gray-green, base rounded. Infl 2-5 per shoot, rectangular, laterally flattened, 5-9.5" x 1.75-2.75"; bracts 16-36, 2-ranked, shaped like rattlesnake rattle, yellow, yellow-green, orange, or bronze. Flws yellow to yellow-orange." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 700)

Habitat/ecology:  "sea level to 5,000', usually in open or disturbed habitats" (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 700)

Propagation: 

Native range:  "Calathea crotalifera has a wide distribution from southern Mexico to Argentina. . . ." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 700)

"...native to Mexico, Central America, and South America." (Hawaiian Plants and Tropical Flowers)

Impacts and invaded habitats:  "...in Hawaii, Rattlesnake Plant has escaped from cultivation and now grows wild in some wet to mesic (moderately wet) areas." (Hawaiian Plants and Tropical Flowers)

If you know of other invaded habitats or impacts, please let us know.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands introduced
invasive
cultivated
Kinsey, T. Beth (year unknown)
"Here in Hawaii, Rattlesnake Plant has escaped from cultivation and now grows wild in some wet to mesic (moderately wet) areas."
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Maui Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
O‘ahu Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Central America native
Kinsey, T. Beth (year unknown)
accessed 20180903
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico (United Mexican States) native
Kinsey, T. Beth (year unknown)
accessed 20180903
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
India
India
India (Republic of)   efloraofindia (year unknown)
accessed 20180903
South America
South America
South America native
Kinsey, T. Beth (year unknown)
accessed 20180903

Comments:  in Hawaii (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 700)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Calathea crotalifera, please let us know.


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 12 SEP 2017 and was last updated on 3 SEP 2018.