Goeppertia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Marantaceae, native to the New World Tropics. It contains 243 accepted species, many of which were until recently assigned to Calathea. It was first described by Nees von Esenbeck in 1831, who erroneously erected another genus Goeppertia in 1836, which has now been synonymized with Endlicheria. In 1862 August Grisebach described another genus Goeppertia; this has now been synonymized with Bisgoeppertia.
Goeppertia plants are noted for its striking variegated leaves. In the wet tropics and sub-tropics, these plant are commonly grown outdoors in shaded areas and courtyards for display of its highly ornamental foliage. They are native to tropical areas along the upper Amazon in northwestern Brazil, Peru and Columbia. I
They are compact, rhizomatous, evergreen perennialss that typically grow to 50-70cm tall in containers. Elliptic leaves are glossy with distinctive patterns and markings forming between the midribs and leaf margins. Leaf undersides are also often coloured.
Goeppertia leaves often fold together at dusk in a manner somewhat resembling praying hands, hence the sometimes used common name of prayer plant.
The genus name of Goeppertia is in honour of Heinrich Göppert (1800–1884), a German botanist and paleontologist.
