"Lobster-claw" redirects here. For the crustacean appendage, see Lobster claw.
Genus of plants
For other uses, see Heliconia (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Helliconia, Heliconius, or Helicon.
Heliconia
Heliconia latispatha inflorescences
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Clade:
Tracheophytes
Clade:
Angiosperms
Clade:
Monocots
Clade:
Commelinids
Order:
Zingiberales
Family:
Heliconiaceae Vines[1]
Genus:
Heliconia L.
Synonyms[2]
Bihai Mill.
Heliconiopsis Miq.
Heliconia mariae inflorescenceHeliconia psittacorum
Heliconia is a genus of flowering plants in the monotypic family Heliconiaceae. Most of the 194 known species[3] are native to the tropical Americas, but a few are indigenous to certain islands of the western Pacific and Maluku in Indonesia.[2] Many species of Heliconia are found in the tropical forests of these regions. Most species are listed as either vulnerable or data deficient by the IUCN Red List of threatened species.[4] Several species are widely cultivated as ornamentals, and a few are naturalized in Florida, Gambia, and Thailand.[2]
Common names for the genus include lobster-claws, toucan beak, wild plantain, or false bird-of-paradise; the last term refers to their close similarity to the bird-of-paradise flowers in the Strelitzia genus. Collectively, these plants are also simply referred to as "heliconias".
Heliconia originated in the Late Eocene (39 Ma) and are the oldest known clade of hummingbird-pollinated plants.[5]
^Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x. hdl:10654/18083.
^ abc"Heliconia L." Plant of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
^Christenhusz, M. J. M.; Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa. 261 (3). Magnolia Press: 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1.
^"Helliconia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
^Iles, William J. D.; Sass, Chodon; Lagomarsino, Laura; Benson-Martin, Gracie; Driscoll, Heather; Specht, Chelsea D. (2017-12-01). "The phylogeny of Heliconia (Heliconiaceae) and the evolution of floral presentation". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 25th Anniversary Issue of Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 117: 150–167. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2016.12.001. ISSN 1055-7903.
Heliconia is a genus of flowering plants in the monotypic family Heliconiaceae. Most of the 194 known species are native to the tropical Americas, but...
Heliconia rostrata, the hanging lobster claw or false bird of paradise, is a herbaceous perennial plant native to El Salvador, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia...
Heliconia psittacorum (parrot's beak, parakeet flower, parrot's flower, parrot's plantain, false bird-of-paradise) is a perennial herb native to the Caribbean...
Heliconia bihai (red palulu) of the family Heliconiaceae is an erect herb typically growing taller than 1.5 m. It is native to northern South America...
Heliconia collinsiana (platanillo) of family Heliconiaceae is an erect herb typically growing 10–15 feet (3.0–4.6 m) tall, native to Guatemala, Honduras...
Heliconia vellerigera is a plant species in the family Heliconiaceae, native to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Costa Rica. It is a large herb up to 6 m (20...
Heliconia tortuosa is an herbaceous tropical perennial commonly found in secondary succession in montane forests in Central America and southern Mexico...
Heliconia latispatha (expanded lobsterclaw) is a plant species native to southern Mexico (Tabasco, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Campeche), Central America and northern...
Heliconia stricta is a plant species native to Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, reproducing by seeds and by underground...
Heliconia virginalis is a species of plant in the family Heliconiaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Ulloa Ulloa, C.; Pitman, N. (2004). "Heliconia virginalis"...
Heliconia mariae is a species of flowering plants in the family Heliconiaceae. It is found in North-West South America and Central America. Hook.f. Journal...
Heliconia chartacea is a species of Heliconia native to tropical South America (Brazil, Venezuela, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, colombia,Ecuador and...
Heliconia acuminata (syn.: Heliconia pearcei Rusby) is a species of plant in the family Heliconiaceae. It is an erect herb, typically growing 1.6 m tall...
Heliconia episcopalis is a species of plant in the family Heliconiaceae. It is an erect herb typically growing up to 2 meters tall, native to the Amazon...
Heliconia indica is a species of plant in the family Heliconiaceae. It is found in Maluku and the southwest Pacific. Heliconia indica is reconstructed...
Heliconia aurantiaca is a species of flowering plant in the family Heliconiaceae. It is endemic to Central America - south Mexico and Guatemala. Its natural...
Heliconia angusta Vell. (syn.: Heliconia agustifolia Hook., Heliconia bicolor Benth., Heliconia brasiliensis Hook.), of family Heliconiaceae is an erect...
Heliconia hirsuta is a species of flowering plant in the family Heliconiaceae. This plant is an erect herb up to 2 m tall, and it is native to Central...
Heliconia obscura is a species of plant in the family Heliconiaceae. It is native to Ecuador and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical...
Heliconia aemygdiana is a species of flowering plant in the family Heliconiaceae. It is a rhizomatous geophyte found in tropical South America. It has...
Comocritis heliconia is a moth in the family Xyloryctidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1933. It is found on Java in Indonesia. Savela, Markku...
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