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Lobster Claw
Heliconia psittacorum
γγͺγ³γγ’
A perennial herb native to tropical America. Known for its distinctive inflorescence of overlapping red to orange boat-shaped bracts, it is a famous tropical flower widely traded as cut flowers and foliage plants in Japan.
Identification Points
- βInflorescence of red, orange, or yellow boat-shaped bracts in two ranks
- βLarge banana-like leaves
- βBird-pollinated (ornithophilous), primarily by hummingbirds
Habitat
Greenhouses and parks (cultivated); also outdoors in southern Okinawa
Season
Year-round (under cultivation)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Herb
Habitat
Cultivated
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Petal count
6 petals
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Zygomorphic
Ovary position
Inferior
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Phylogenetic Positionγγͺγ³γγ’η§ β
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Monocots > Zingiberales > Heliconiaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene (about 60β50 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Heliconiaceae is a family in the order Zingiberales closely related to Musaceae, having co-evolved with hummingbirds, resulting in vivid bracts and elongated floral tubes.
View on evolution timeline βSources & References
AI-generated, needs verification