HELICONIA (Heliconia Sp.)
The genus Heliconia is named after Mt. Helicon, the abode of the Greek muses in Euboea, and comprises 150 species native in
tropical central and South America. All species have rhizomes from which arise false stems, formed from the rolled leaf sheaths, like the Banana. They have erect shoots, each composed of a stem and leaves and often terminated by an inflorescence of frequently brilliant color which comes from the bracts rather than the flowers. There are 3 basic leaf arrangement; those on which the leaves are oriented vertically and have long petioles, like bananas, those on which the leaves are more or less horizontally positioned and have short petioles, like gingers; and those on which the leaves stick out obliquely, like Cannas. All species of Heliconia produce an abundance of sweet sticky nectar at the base of the petals. This ooze out into the bracts and become mixed with any rainwater that has collected there. In the wild, it is an important pioneer of forest clearings.
Do you know… daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the Muses were originally deities associated with mountains and springs. Later they became goddesses of the arts and followers of Apollo given title Apollo Musagetes (Leader of the Muses). The Muses lived on Mount Helicon in Boeotia near a spring called Hippocrene. There were nine in all: Calliope (Muse of Epic Poetry), Clio (Muse of history), Erato (Muse of Lyric Poetry), Euterpe (Muse of Instrumental Music), Melpomene (Muse of Tragedy), Polyhymnia (Muse of Mime), Terpsichore (Muse of Dancing), Thalia (Muse of Comedy) and Urania (Muse of Astronomy.
tropical central and South America. All species have rhizomes from which arise false stems, formed from the rolled leaf sheaths, like the Banana. They have erect shoots, each composed of a stem and leaves and often terminated by an inflorescence of frequently brilliant color which comes from the bracts rather than the flowers. There are 3 basic leaf arrangement; those on which the leaves are oriented vertically and have long petioles, like bananas, those on which the leaves are more or less horizontally positioned and have short petioles, like gingers; and those on which the leaves stick out obliquely, like Cannas. All species of Heliconia produce an abundance of sweet sticky nectar at the base of the petals. This ooze out into the bracts and become mixed with any rainwater that has collected there. In the wild, it is an important pioneer of forest clearings.
Do you know… daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the Muses were originally deities associated with mountains and springs. Later they became goddesses of the arts and followers of Apollo given title Apollo Musagetes (Leader of the Muses). The Muses lived on Mount Helicon in Boeotia near a spring called Hippocrene. There were nine in all: Calliope (Muse of Epic Poetry), Clio (Muse of history), Erato (Muse of Lyric Poetry), Euterpe (Muse of Instrumental Music), Melpomene (Muse of Tragedy), Polyhymnia (Muse of Mime), Terpsichore (Muse of Dancing), Thalia (Muse of Comedy) and Urania (Muse of Astronomy.