	Carla's Heliconia Garden

Heliconias

NAME

Heliconia sessilis

All the inflorescences in the area were eaten. This one looked the best of all.

habit: musoid
height: 5.6 meters
leaf blade: 140 centimeters
leaf blade: 180 - 55 L - W in centimeters
color notes: Light waxy coating under leaves. Maroon midrib on underside where petiole meets leaf.
stems per clump: 5 - 10

form: horizontal tendency
orientation: spiral
bract color: Light red, darker distally
rachis: Red and very square.
number of bracts: Hard to say because all the inflorescences in the area were damaged, with bits of bracts on the ground. It seems like some animal had been busy.
overall length: 40, but most of the inflor. were broken off. centimeters
bract size: 7 - 2.5 L - W in centimeters
flower color: yellow, darker distally
flower form: slightly curved
ovary: lavender, undeveloped
comment: This looks something like an under-developed curtispatha.

accession number: 2004-09-13-03
location: Panama, Colon province, just off the road to Ft. Sherman where it diverges from the Canal
elevation: 30 meters
climate: Atlantic, but with a dry season.
soil type: loamy
shade percent: 50 %
habitat notes: Growing in wet soil with signs of periodic flooding, including a crocodile skull.
common at this location: There were many of the same plant here, but this is the only place we saw it.
associated species: latispatha, mariae