Heliconias... Heliconias... Heliconias: cv Alan Carle, Heliconia aff. psittacorum x spathocircinata Aristeguieta

Welcome to Heliconias... Heliconias... Heliconias

This blog is all about growing Heliconias, an exotic plant not native to Malaysia. All pictures shown are digital photos of the actual species in my garden such as Rostrata, Dwarf Jamaican, Latispatha and several psittacorums such as Andromeda, Lady Di, Fuschia, Strawberry & Cream and hybrids such as Golden Torch and Alan Carle.

Heliconia are close relatives of gingers, bananas, birds-of-paradise and traveler’s palms. There are more than 200 (350 including cultivars) documented species of the single genus, with the bulk of them originating from Central and South America such as Guyana, Costa Rica, Berlize, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. You may be interested to note that about 6 species have evolved separately in the South Pacific and Indonesia, and typically have green inflorescence.The name "heliconia" actually comes from Greek mythology after the great Mount Helicon, the abode of the muses of the arts and sciences.

The beauty of the heliconia lies in the brightly coloured bracts that are mistakenly called the flowers. The actual flower is the tiny little flowers that emerge from the large showy bracts. Each stem can only flower once, after which the entire stem deteriorates, drives up and collapses. As such, it is recommended to cut at the base of 'flowered-out' stems.

BTW, this blog has been read by visitors from Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Netherland, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom & United States of America :-)

16th Sept 2009 : 17:30

Sunday, October 19, 2008

cv Alan Carle, Heliconia aff. psittacorum x spathocircinata Aristeguieta

Just acquired a new specie. Looks like a Golden Torch with 5 red bracts.

On Page 153, of the Helconia An Indentification Guide, there is a strikingly similar looking Heliconia psittacorum x spathocircinata Aristeguieta cv Alan Carle. The dufference being the colur of the bracts, sepals being yellowish rather than reddist as in my specie.

Height
6-7 ft (3-5 ft for cv Alan Carle)

Inflorenscence
Bracts
5-6 bracts with red keel and cheek. (3-6; reddish on most of cheek & keel shading to yellowish on proximal cheek & along lip for cv Alan Carle)

Rachis
Reddish. (Greenish to yellow for cv Alan Carle)

Sepals
Dark greenish on Distal half , orangish on proximal part (Dark green on distal third with light tip, yellow on proximal part for cv Alan Carle)

Ovary
Orange proximal to yellowish distally. (yellow cv Alan Carle)

Pedicel
Orangish (cream or yellowish cv Alan Carle)

Peduncle
Greenish proximaly to reddish distally.