Heliconia section Cannastrum L. Anderss.

1.5. 3. Heliconia section Cannastrum L. Anderss. , Opera Bot. 82: 86. 1985.

Figs 4 I, J View Figure 4

Type.

Heliconia metallica Planch. & Linden ex. Hook.

Description and taxonomic notes.

Medium- to large-sized rhizomatous herbs with Canna - to rarely Zingiber - like habit. Inflorescence erect, with peduncle, rachis and cincinnal bracts usually red (rarely yellow to green); cincinnal bracts distichous, generally separated. Flowers with diurnal anthesis, fully exposed at maturity, resupinate and held at right angles to bracts; perianth with short to medium-sized tube, straight to uniformly curved, yellow (rarely pink), sometimes with green towards apex, glabrous; ovary green to yellow to red, sometimes with green apex, glabrous. Fruits blue, glabrous. Section Cannastrum was placed in subgen. Stenochlamys originally by Andersson (1985 a, 1992) and followed by Kress et al. (1999). In the present classification molecular data support its inclusion in subgen. Heliconia although few morphological traits support that placement. The 1.0 LPP support clearly unites the species in this section as a monophyletic group. The genomic data place one species, H. pardoi Abalo & Morales , in sect. Griggsia , but the vegetative, inflorescence and floral traits suggest its inclusion in sect. Cannastrum . The relationship of this section to others in the subgenus is equivocal at this time.

Species.

+ Heliconia berryi Abalo & Morales ; * H. calatheaphylla Daniels & Stiles ; * H. deflexa Daniels & Stiles ; * H. golfodulcensis Daniels & Stiles ; * H. mathiasiae Daniels & Stiles ; * H. meridensis Kl. ; * H. metallica Planch. & Linden ex. Hook.; + H. mincana Abalo & Morales ; + H. montana Abalo & Morales ; * H. osaensis Cuf. ; * H. pardoi Abalo & Morales †; * H. vaginalis Benth. ; + H. venusta Abalo & Morales ; * H. wilsonii Daniels & Stiles.

Distribution.

Tropical Mexico, Central America, and South America ( Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Venezuela).