Maranta is a genus of flowering plants in the family Marantaceae, native to tropical Central and South America and the West Indies.

The crowded oval, evergreen leaves are undivided with sheathing stalks.

[4] The flowers are small with three petals and two larger petal-like staminodes.

Maranta arundinacea is cultivated to produce the edible starch arrowroot.

Some species such as Maranta leuconeura (prayer plant) and M. arundinacea are grown as houseplants in a warmish house or conservatory environment.