Heliconia L.

	Heliconia sp.: inflorescence (upright type)

lobster claw

Heliconia bihai (L.) L.

H. caribaea Lam.

H. chartacea Lane ex Barreiros

H. collinsiana Griggs

H. hirsuta L. f.

H. orthotricha L. Andersson¹

H. platystachys Bak.

H. psittacorum L. f.

H. rostrata Ruiz & Pav.

H. stricta Huber

H. wagneriana Petersen

Central America to South America, and southwest Pacific.

Erect or pendent terminal inflorescence of brightly colored boat-shaped bracts in a distichous or spiral arrangement, each bract enclosing few to many flowers; 3 showy sepals, 2 of which are adpressed to corolla except at apex, and 1 free; corolla tubular, of 3 more or less united petals forming a short tube.

Inflorescence upright or hanging, (5)20-40(60) cm long; number of bracts per inflorescence 3-30; bract shape varies; bracts and flowers mainly red, green, yellow, and orange, uniform in color or displaying a combination of several colors.

Strelitzia

Heliconia can be distinguished from the related genus Strelitzia, which has inflorescences that consist of 1 or a few bracts, while those of Heliconia consist of a few to many; Strelitzia flowers also differ, having 3 distinct sepals, 1 small petal and 2 petals united into an arrow-shaped tongue.

Ivory Coast, Kenya.