Overview
Goeppertia warszewiczii (Lem.) Borchs. & S.Suárez is the accepted name for a perennial species in the family Marantaceae, as recognised by Kew Plants of the World Online (POWO) [1] and confirmed by the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy under species key 9467672 [2]. The species is native to Central America and is classified by POWO as growing primarily in the wet tropical biome [1].
The genus Goeppertia Nees is the accepted botanical name for the largest genus in Marantaceae, encompassing an estimated 260 species. The great majority of those species were transferred from Calathea G.Mey. by Borchsenius, Suárez and Prince in 2012, who demonstrated through molecular phylogenetic analysis that Calathea as previously circumscribed was polyphyletic [3]. Goeppertia warszewiczii is one of those 246 transferred species [3].
The species is documented as in cultivation. One cultivar, 'Jungle Velvet', is recorded in this registry against the species. The name most commonly encountered in trade and horticultural literature for this plant remains Calathea warscewiczii, reflecting the pre-2012 generic assignment that predates the Borchsenius, Suárez and Prince revision [3].
Registry conflict note — epithet spelling: The registry slug and epithet field carry the spelling 'warscewiczii', which appears throughout the synonymy as an orthographic variant of the basionym epithet. Kew POWO and the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy both record the accepted spelling as 'warszewiczii' [1][2]. A human reviewer is required to resolve this discrepancy in the registry.
Registry conflict note — basionym author: The registry authority string records the basionym author as 'L.Mathieu ex Planch.', matching the citation as it appeared in Borchsenius et al. (2012). POWO and GBIF resolve the basionym author as 'Lem.' in accordance with Article 41.8(a) of the International Code of Nomenclature (Melbourne Code) [1][2]. A human reviewer is required to update the registry authority string accordingly.
Registry conflict note — GBIF species key: The registry powo_id field holds key 8184122, which does not correspond to the accepted name record. GBIF key 9467672 resolves to the accepted name Goeppertia warszewiczii; key 8184122 appears to correspond to a synonym record [2]. A human reviewer is required to correct the registry powo_id field.
Nomenclature and synonymy
The accepted name Goeppertia warszewiczii (Lem.) Borchs. & S.Suárez has its basionym in Maranta warszewiczii Lem., published by Charles Lemaire in L'Illustration Horticole 1: t. 7 in 1854 [1]. The species epithet commemorates Józef Warszewicz (1812–1866), a Polish-Lithuanian botanist and plant collector who collected extensively in Central America during the mid-nineteenth century, as recorded in the Marantaceae literature [3].
The species has passed through four genera across its nomenclatural history. From Lemaire's original Maranta placement in 1854, Jules Émile Planchon and Jean Jules Linden transferred it to Calathea as Calathea warszewiczii (Lem.) Planch. & Linden in Catalogue des Plantes Exotiques 10: 3 in 1855 [1]. Two further transfers produced names now treated as synonyms: Klotzsch placed it in Phrynium as Phrynium warszewiczii (Lem.) Klotzsch, and Kuntze later placed it in Phyllodes as Phyllodes warszewiczii (Lem.) Kuntze — both names subsequently synonymised [1]. POWO records nine synonyms in total for this taxon, encompassing those successive generic transfers between 1854 and 1891 and the 2012 Goeppertia combination [1].
The current combination was published by Finn Borchsenius, Santiago Suárez and Lori Prince in Systematic Botany 37(3): 635 in 2012 [3]. That paper demonstrated through molecular phylogenetic analysis that Calathea G.Mey. as previously circumscribed was polyphyletic and published 246 new combinations transferring species to Goeppertia Nees [3]. The specific combination for this species appears at page 635 of that publication, as confirmed by POWO [1].
POWO and the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy both resolve the basionym author as Lem. [1][2]. The original Borchsenius et al. (2012) combination cited L.Mathieu ex Planch. as the basionym authority; POWO records this as resolved in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature, with Lem. standing as the correct basionym author [1].
The orthographic variant 'warscewiczii' — with a 'c' in place of the 'z' — appears throughout the synonymy and remains widely used in horticultural trade under the name Calathea warscewiczii. The POWO-accepted spelling of the epithet is 'warszewiczii' [1]. The synonym Calathea warscewiczii (Lem.) Planch. & Linden is confirmed in the Borchsenius, Suárez and Prince revision [3] and is recorded in this registry as a synonym.
Distribution and habitat
Kew POWO records the native range of Goeppertia warszewiczii as Central America, specifically listing Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panamá [1]. The species is classified as a perennial growing primarily in the wet tropical biome [1].
No conservation status assessment under IUCN Red List criteria has been located for this taxon in the sources consulted. Limited authoritative sources available; further research needed.
In cultivation
Kew POWO records Goeppertia warszewiczii as present in cultivation [1]. The species is grown as an ornamental, principally for its foliage. The name most commonly encountered in trade is Calathea warscewiczii, reflecting the pre-2012 generic assignment that remains in widespread horticultural use following the Borchsenius, Suárez and Prince revision [3].
One cultivar is recorded in this registry against the species: 'Jungle Velvet'. No plant patent, originator record or formal registration document has been located for this cultivar. No originator is documented. This cultivar predates any registration authority for Marantaceae. No parentage information is documented.
No International Cultivar Registration Authority has been appointed for Marantaceae [4]. The ISHS Commission Cultivar Registration appoints ICRAs for specific plant genera and groups; Marantaceae — encompassing Goeppertia, Maranta, Stromanthe and related genera — does not appear on the list of genera for which an authority has been appointed [4]. By contrast, the International Aroid Society is the appointed ICRA for Araceae [4]. The absence of an appointed authority for Marantaceae means there is no external registration body against which cultivar epithets in this genus can be validated at this time.
The ICNCP requires that a cultivar epithet be enclosed in single quotation marks. The epithet 'Jungle Velvet', recorded in this registry against Goeppertia warszewiczii, follows that convention. Digital Towns is an applicant and aggregator; it is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operating under the ISHS or any appointed ICRA.
Limited authoritative sources available on the documented cultivation history, propagation methods or horticultural performance of this species; further research needed.