Heliconia

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Heliconiaceae >

Heliconia >

Read about Heliconia in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Heliconia (Mt. Helicon, in Greece, seat of the Muses). Musaceae. Foliage plants allied to Musa, grown in a warmhouse along with alocasias, anthuriums and calatheas. From Musa, Heliconia differs chiefly in having a dry, often dehiscing, 3-loculecL 3-seeded fr.: fls. in clusters below the Ivs., subtended by bracts after the way of Musa; sepals 3, linear, free or somewhat joined to the corolla; corolla short-tubed; stamens 5; staminodium 1: Ivs. large and striking, often beautifully marked: sts. arising from a strong rootstock.—Perhaps 35 species m Trop. Amer., various of which have been intro. into cult., but the following are the only ones appearing in the American trade. Many species are being described from trop. Asia, and there is doubt about the American nativity of the genus. Some writers consider the Old World species as of the genus Heliconiopsis, which in the absence of evidence is not maintained here. H. insignis, Hort.. intro. by F. Sander & Son in 1912, is of uncertain botanical origin. It is described as "with dark bronzy- green lvs." and may be some form of H. metallica. Planch., which is described as 'lark shining green and purple beneath when young. — H. lehmannii variegata, Hort.. advertised by Royal Palm Nurseries, is of doubtful botanical position. It is described as "a stocky, broad-lvd. plant, somewhat resembling a miniature banana, with lvs. striped with creamy yellow, and having yellow sts." The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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External links

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