Heliconia

A cold-tolerant perennial plant of the Musaceae family (APG classification: Muscicapaceae). 80 species are distributed in tropical America. It has underground stems, leaves that grow alternately in two rows, and leaf sheaths that overlap at the ground to form a pseudostem. A flower stalk that grows from the center has boat-shaped bracts at the end, and several flowers grow inside them. The bracts turn beautiful colors, allowing you to enjoy them for a long time. The well-known H. aurantiaca Ghiesbr. ex Lem. grows in forests in southern Mexico, reaches a height of 1 meter, and bears three or four orange-red bracts with green tips at the top of the stem in April and May. The flowers are yellowish-white. H. humilis Jacg. is native to Trinidad and Brazil. It is 60-80 cm tall, with boat-shaped bracts that are red and turn green toward the periphery. The flowers are pale yellow. A rather small species.

[Yoshiyuki Uemura, June 18, 2019]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

バショウ科（APG分類：オウムバナ科）の不耐寒性多年草。熱帯アメリカに80種分布する。地下茎をもち、葉は2列に互生し、地際(じぎわ)は葉鞘(ようしょう)が重なり合って偽茎となる。中心から伸びた花茎の先に舟形の包葉をつけ、その中に数花をつける。包葉はきれいに色づき、長期間楽しむことができる。よく知られるアウランティアカH. aurantiaca Ghiesbr. ex Lem.は南部メキシコの林内に生え、高さ1メートルに達し、4～5月、茎頂に橙赤(とうせき)色で先が緑色の包葉を3、4枚つける。花は黄白色。フミリスH. humilis Jacg.はトリニダードからブラジル原産。高さ60～80センチメートル、包は舟形、赤色で周辺に向けて緑色に変わる。花は淡黄色。やや小型種。

［植村猶行　2019年6月18日］

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