Family: Marantaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Stromanthe macrochlamys is a tropical understory plant in the prayer plant family (Marantaceae), native from Central Mexico through Central America to northwestern Colombia. It grows in warm, shaded forest environments where humidity is high and light is filtered through the canopy. The plant is valued for its attractive foliage, often featuring bold patterns and contrasting colors typical of ornamental Stromanthe species. It is primarily grown as a specialty landscape plant in frost-free tropical gardens or as an indoor houseplant in temperate regions, where its lush leaves add a decorative, tropical aesthetic.

Risks & Threats
There are no well-documented reports of Stromanthe macrochlamys becoming naturalized or invasive. It is generally considered to have low risk, as it is not known to spread aggressively outside cultivation. However, like many tropical ornamentals, it could potentially persist or escape in suitable warm, wet environments if discarded plant material establishes. At present, it poses minimal concern for Hawaiian ecosystems, but continued observation is appropriate given its cultivation in tropical horticulture.

High Risk Traits:

• Native or naturalized in tropical climates
  
• Shade tolerant
  
• Reproduces by seed
  
• Propagules dispersed intentionally by people
  
• Propagules bird-dispersed
  
• Propagules survive passage through the gut

Low Risk Traits:

• Not naturalized beyond native range
  
• No evidence of weediness
  
• No spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• No evidence of toxicity or allergies
  
• Not a fire hazard
  
• Narrow soil tolerance (requires rich, moist soil)
  
• Requires specialist pollinators
  
• Propagules not likely to be dispersed unintentionally
  
• Propagules not adapted to wind or water dispersal
  
• Propagules not dispersed externally by other animals