1.3. 2. Heliconia section Aurantiacae W. J. Kress, sect. nov.

Figs 3 K, L

Type.

Heliconia aurantiaca Ghiesbr. ex Lemaire.

Description and taxonomic notes.

Small- to medium-sized rhizomatous herbs with Musa - to Zingiber - like habit. Inflorescence erect, with peduncle, rachis and cincinnal bracts red to orange; cincinnal bracts spirally arranged (rarely distichous). Flowers with diurnal anthesis, fully resupinate and held at right angles to bracts; perianth uniformly curved, green to yellow; ovary green to yellow. Fruits blue, glabrous. The five species united here in subgen. Taeniostrobus sect. Aurantiacae were formerly placed in two sections by Andersson (1992; sects. Lanea and Zingiberastrum [now Longiflorae]). The species in this section, with primarily spirally arranged bracts, resupinate flowers, and some with Zingiber - like leaf arrangement, are distinct from taxa in sect. Taeniostrobus and are supported in the molecular analysis with 0.92 LPP support as a monophyletic group sister to that section.

Species.

* Heliconia adflexa (Griggs) Standl.; * H. aurantiaca Ghiesbr. ex Lemaire; * H. crassa Griggs; * H. schiedeana Kl.; * H. spissa Griggs.

Distribution.

Tropical Mexico and Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua).