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Thalia geniculata L.,

Synonym	:	Maranta arundinacea Billb. ex Beurl.
Family	:	Marantaceae
Local name	:	English -   Bent Alligator-Flag
Flowering and fruiting period	:	October-May
Distribution	:	Tropical Africa, South East U.S.A. to Tropical America
Distribution in kerala	:	Malappuram, Kozhikkode
Habitat	:	Grown as garden plant
Uses	:	The leaves and stems are widely used for thatching, packing and plaiting
Key Botanical Characters:  Clump forming aquatic/marsh plants up to 2 m tall. Leaves distichous, sheathed, with a brownish, cylindrical pulvinus on the upper part of stalk; sheaths adpressed to form a pseudostem. Leaf blades  ovate-lanceolate, acuminate and with a purplish mark at the base near the stalk.  flowers, sessile, in pairs, in lax zig-zag pendulous spikes. Sepals 3, violet, equal, free, oblong with round tips. Petals 3, dorsal one shortly tubular, dark purplish with a dorsal lobe folded backwards; one lower petal free, light pinkish white, ovate, clawed, thin, papery, much larger and the third petal keel-like with two appendages, one acicular and other hook like. , fused, yellow, projecting from the inner throat of the dorsal petal. Ovary yellow, . Fruit is a nut with a curved embryo embedded in perisperm.