Numerous, see text Calathea is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Marantaceae.

The young leaves and bracts can retain pools of water called phytotelmata, that provide habitat for many invertebrates.

[3] This phenomenon, known as nyctinasty,[3] is made possible by a small joint the plant possesses between the stem and leaf, called a pulvinus.

Like the shady floors of the tropical canopies, this genus prefers low to medium light.

[3] Along with low to indirect light preferences, these plants require high humidity to mimic their natural habitat .

A light porous soil and pot with a drainage hole will ensure the plant's delicate root system is not over-watered.

Sometimes, they are used unprocessed, e.g. to wrap fish for transport in parts of Brazil, such as the Benevides region of Pará [citation needed].

In other places, the leaves are used in handicraft to produce containers, such as the quivers of the Nukak people of Colombia [citation needed].

Most famous, perhaps, are the decorative Calathea-leaf rice containers produced in some villages of Thailand, especially in Ban Huak (Amphoe Si Bun Rueang) where they are an important source of income and sold to locals and tourists alike [citation needed].

Calathea foliage is of importance to some herbivores, such as the caterpillars of the purple owl (Caligo beltrao) which feed on C. zebrina [citation needed].