- heliconia
-
heliconia [hel΄i kō′nē ə]n.any of a genus (Heliconia) of tropical plants of the banana family, having tall, erect leaves and spikes of flowers enclosed in brilliantly colored bracts
* * *
▪ plant genusthe only genus of the family Heliconiaceae, with 100–200 species in tropical America and the western Pacific. The large perennial herbs have brightly coloured bracts (leaf-shaped structures) and bear numerous flowers. The fruit is usually blue.These attractive plants have stout or reedlike stems. The banana-like leaves sometimes show a coppery sheen, and the midrib may be ivory and pink. One colourful species, H. psittacorum, named for its resemblance to a parrot's plumage, has greenish yellow flowers with black spots near the tips and red bracts.* * *
Universalium. 2010.