Native to the understory of tropical rainforests in southeastern Colombia and southwestern Venezuela, Goeppertia ornata is widely considered one of the most elegant species in the genus, and the epithet ornata — meaning decorated, embellished, ornate — is entirely earned. Young leaves emerge bright green with pinstripes of pale pinkish-white tracing each lateral vein; as the plant matures those leaves deepen to a dark, lustrous green while the stripes retain their clarity. Undersides carry a purplish hue. The habit is erect and clumping, reaching anywhere from 1 to 3 feet tall depending on conditions, making it equally at home on a side table or as a floor specimen.

The growing requirements are consistent with the genus: bright indirect light or partial shade, a peat-based or African violet potting mix amended with perlite, and humidity maintained above 60%. Temperatures should stay between 65 and 75 degrees. Distilled or rainwater prevents the leaf browning that fluoride in tap water tends to cause. Monthly fertilizer through the growing season keeps growth steady. The leaves fold each evening and reopen at dawn in the characteristic prayer plant movement, a rhythm that suits this plant's composed, considered character.