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Calathea crotalifera S. Watson Rattlesnake plant
The rattlesnake plant's flowerlike yellow spike looks a great deal like a rattler's tail. The plants are native to regions between Nicaragua and Ecuador. It is naturalized in Hawai‘i now. I see this plant variously called Calathea crotalifera S. Watson, Calathea insignis, and Calathea lancifolia. But these plants differ significantly, and only C. crotalifera has the distinctive yellow rattler flowerheads. Identification: The yellow spike that is this plant's namesake is a set of bracts (modified leaves)—the true flowers are small and purple, poking out of the sides of the leaves. Online References:
Forest and Kim Starr’s Starr Environmental site Hawaiian Plants and Tropical Flowers SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network
Calathea crotalifera description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.
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8/21/2004 · Hawaii Botanical Gardens, Hawaii Range:
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