Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Calathea lutea
(Aubl.) Schult., 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 lutea)

Other Latin names:  Calathea cachibou (Jacq.) Lindl. ex Horan.; Calathea discolor G. Mey.; Calathea magnifica C. V. Morton & Skutch; Maranta cachibou Jacq.; Maranta casupo Jacq.; Maranta disticha Buc'hoz; Maranta lutea Aubl.; Phrynium casupo (Jacq.) Roscoe; Phrynium luteum (Aubl.) Sweet; Phyllodes lutea (Aubl.) Kuntze

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Cuban cigar

Unknown: cachibou, calathea, pampano

Habit:  herb

Description:  Calathea lutea "is a robust perennial herb 5-13' tall, with 307 basal leaves and 1 (rarely 2) on the stem. The leaf blade is (7-)12-58" long and (5-)8-24" wide, densley hairy at the tip, the base rounded, the apex rounded to truncate. The upper surface is plain green, the underside waxy white. The 2-6 inflorescences per shoot are cylindrical, 3.5-11.5" long and 1-2" wide, with 7-18 leathery, persisten, bronze to reddish brown bracts. The petals are purple-brown, the sterile stamens yellow." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 703)

Habitat/ecology:  "[Calathea lutea] is widespread in open, wet, often disturbed sites in tropical lowlands. . . ." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 703)

"Principally in coastal marshes and disturbed areas along the coast [315]. Almost never in the forest except in tree-fall areas; occasional on creek beds and shoreline soil deposits [315]." (Useful Tropical Plants)

In cultivation, Calathea lutea "does best in full sun but can take light shade and needs protection from the wind." (A Tropical Garden Flora, pp. 704)

Propagation:  Propagation: seed; division; cuttings of basal shoots. (Useful Tropical Plants)

Native range:  Central America, Brazil and the West Indies (Hortipedia)

"[Calathea lutea] is widespread. . .from southern Mexico to Panama, northern South America and the West Indies, and eastern South America to Argentina." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 703)

Impacts and invaded habitats:  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
cultivated
Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 703)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Maui Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Maui Island introduced
cultivated
Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim (year unknown)
as of 20181101, this page/query returned 3 image results for Calathea lutea from "Garden of Eden Keanae, Maui, Hawaii" on March 30, 2011
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)
Costa Rica (Republic of) native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Costa Rica (Republic of) cultivated
Wikimedia Commons (year unknown)
accessed 20181101, cultivated per https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calathea_lutea_0zz.jpg (etc.) accessed 20181101
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
El Salvador (Republic of) native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Guatemala (Republic of) native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Honduras (Republic of) native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Nicaragua (Republic of) native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Panama (Republic of) native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Central America
Central America (non-Pacific rim)
Belize native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico (United Mexican States) native
GRIN (year unknown)
"Mexico (s.)", accessed 20181101
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico (United Mexican States) cultivated
Wikimedia Commons (year unknown)
accessed 20181101, cultivated per https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calathea_lutea_1c.JPG (etc.) accessed 20181101
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore (Republic of) introduced
cultivated
Niissalo, Matti A./Khew, Gillian S./Webb, Edward L./Leong- Škorničková, Jana (2016) (p. 218)
accessed 20181101
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Colombia native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Ecuador native
GRIN (year unknown)
"Ecuador (w.)", accessed 20181101
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Perú (Republic of) native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Caribbean Islands
Caribbean Islands
Dominican Republic native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Caribbean Islands
Caribbean Islands
Guadeloupe native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Caribbean Islands
Caribbean Islands
Martinique native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Caribbean Islands
Caribbean Islands
Puerto Rico native
USDA/NRCS (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Caribbean Islands
Caribbean Islands
Puerto Rico native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Caribbean Islands
Caribbean Islands
St. Lucia cultivated
Graveson, Roger (2012)
accessed 20181101
Caribbean Islands
Caribbean Islands
Trinidad native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
Europe
Europe
Monaco introduced
cultivated
Monaco Nature Encyclopedia (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
South America (non-Pacific rim)
South America (non-Pacific rim)
Brazil native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
South America (non-Pacific rim)
South America (non-Pacific rim)
French Guiana native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
South America (non-Pacific rim)
South America (non-Pacific rim)
Guyana native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
South America (non-Pacific rim)
South America (non-Pacific rim)
Suriname native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101
United States (continental except west coast)
United States (other states)
USA (Florida) cultivated
Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 704)
accessed 20181101, "southern Florida, Hawai'i, and more tropical climates"
Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) native
GRIN (year unknown)
accessed 20181101

Comments:  present in Hawaii (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 704)

Cultivation details: "A plant of the tropics, it can be grown in subtropical areas if given some protection in the cool season [200]. Prefers a humus-rich, moist soil and a position with some shade [200]. Plants flower and fruit throughout the year in the tropics, but most especially in the early rainy season [315]." (Useful Tropical Plants)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Calathea lutea, 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 1 NOV 2018.