Overview
Goeppertia peruviana (Körn.) Borchs. & S.Suárez is an accepted species in the family Marantaceae [2]. It is a perennial herb belonging to the genus Goeppertia Nees, which Borchsenius, Suárez and Prince redefined in 2012 as the largest genus in Marantaceae, encompassing an estimated 260 accepted species [1]. Plants of the World Online lists Goeppertia peruviana among the accepted species of the genus [3].
The genus Goeppertia as a whole is documented in cultivation across tropical and subtropical regions, with many species grown as ornamental foliage plants, as recorded in the genus-level entry for Goeppertia Nees in Plants of the World Online [3]. The registry records Goeppertia peruviana as in_cultivation: true, though no authoritative source meeting the citation standards of this record has been located that documents this species specifically in a cultivation context distinct from the wider genus [2]. Limited authoritative sources available; further research needed.
No International Cultivar Registration Authority has been appointed for Marantaceae [3]. The International Cultivar Registration Authority system, administered by the International Society for Horticultural Science, appoints registration authorities for cultivated plant genera; no authority has been appointed for genera in Marantaceae, meaning there is no formal mechanism for cultivar name registration under the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants for this family. Digital Towns is an applicant and data aggregator; it is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by the International Society for Horticultural Science or any appointed registration authority. No cultivar registrations for Goeppertia peruviana are held in the registry.
Nomenclature and synonymy
The accepted name is Goeppertia peruviana (Körn.) Borchs. & S.Suárez. The basionym is Calathea peruviana Körn., authored by Friedrich August Körnicke, a nineteenth-century German botanist. The parenthetical authority '(Körn.)' records this original authorship, while 'Borchs. & S.Suárez' denotes the authors of the new combination published in September 2012 [1]. The GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (dataset d7dddbf4-2cf0-4f39-9b2a-bb099caae36c) records the accepted name as Goeppertia peruviana (Körn.) Borchs. & S.Suárez under GBIF key 7848420, accessed 11 August 2026 [2].
The 2012 combination was published as part of a revision that used molecular phylogenetic evidence to demonstrate that Calathea G.Mey. as previously circumscribed was polyphyletic, and transferred 246 Calathea names to Goeppertia by publishing new combinations in Systematic Botany 37(3): 620–635 [1]. The USDA ARS Biocollections Taxonomy records the synonym mapping from Calathea peruviana to Goeppertia peruviana, consistent with the Borchsenius et al. revision [4].
The registry additionally lists Calathea exserta as a synonym of this species, attributed to Borchsenius, Suárez and Prince (2012) [1]. However, the USDA ARS Biocollections Taxonomy maps Calathea panamensis, not Calathea exserta, to Goeppertia peruviana, and does not show Calathea exserta in the synonym mapping for this taxon [4]. The registry synonym row (names row ID 309) carries verified_against_primary: false and the POWO species page for this taxon has not been independently retrieved to confirm or correct this synonymy. This discrepancy is recorded here as an unresolved conflict pending human review; neither the registry value nor the USDA ARS mapping is adopted as authoritative at this time.
The specific epithet 'peruviana' indicates a Peruvian provenance or type locality, consistent with the species having been described from Peruvian material [4]. The precise type locality as stated in the protologue has not been independently confirmed, because the original Körnicke publication has not been retrieved in this research. Limited authoritative sources available on the protologue details; further research needed.
Description
Goeppertia peruviana is a perennial herb in the family Marantaceae. The genus Goeppertia Nees, as redefined by Borchsenius, Suárez and Prince in 2012, is supported by molecular phylogenetic data as a monophyletic group within Marantaceae, distinguished from the residual Calathea G.Mey. by the evidence reviewed in Systematic Botany 37(3): 620–635 [1].
No published morphological description distinguishing Goeppertia peruviana from congeners has been located in a source meeting the citation standards of this record beyond the basionym's original Körnicke authorship, which predates digital availability. The diagnostic characters of the species as formally described in the protologue by Körnicke have not been independently accessed during this research. Limited authoritative sources available; further research needed.
Distribution
Goeppertia peruviana is a wild species. Plants of the World Online lists it among the accepted species of Goeppertia Nees but does not provide a mapped native range in the pages retrieved during this research [3]. The USDA ARS Biocollections Taxonomy records the species under its synonymy mapping but does not provide a habitat description in the content retrieved [4]. The GBIF Backbone Taxonomy entry for GBIF key 7848420 does not include a detailed distribution statement for this taxon specifically [2].
The specific epithet 'peruviana' is consistent with a Peruvian type locality [4]. The registry rows for this species carry no native_range or habitat values. Limited authoritative sources available on the documented native range and habitat of this specific taxon; further research needed.
In cultivation
The registry records Goeppertia peruviana as in_cultivation: true [2]. No cultivar registrations for this species are held in the registry, and no authoritative source meeting the citation standards of this record has been located that documents Goeppertia peruviana specifically in a cultivation context distinct from the wider genus. Whether the species is or has been grown under its accepted name or its former synonym Calathea peruviana cannot be confirmed from the authoritative sources retrieved.
The genus Goeppertia as a whole is documented in cultivation across tropical and subtropical regions, with many species grown as ornamental foliage plants, as recorded in the genus-level Plants of the World Online entry for Goeppertia Nees [3]. Limited authoritative sources available; further research needed.