UNKNOWN HELICONIAS

About 300 species of heliconias are known from Central and South America, many of these from the Amazon region. Because they are large, distinctive plants and commercially valuable (as ornamentals) most species are probably already described, including those pictured on this page. If you can identify these species please contact Jungle Photos. Full credit for identification will be given.

Here's a Heliconia that appears to be closely related to H. rostrata, although the bracts are are elongated and taper to a point compared to those in the specimen pictured above. The difference in shape suggests that this species is pollinated by a different type of hummingbird to H. rostrata's pollinator.

This Heliconia flower could be a variety of H. psittacorum. The uppermost bract has a mauve-colored fruit emerging, indicating the flower was successfully pollinated by a hummingbird.