heliconia

heliconia [hel΄i kō′nē ə]

n.

〚ModL < L, fem. of Heliconius, of HELICON〛

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

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▪ plant genus

 the 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.

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