1.4. Heliconia subgenus Colubrosae W. J. Kress, subgen. nov.

Figs 4 A – D

Type.

Heliconia dielsiana Loes.

Description and taxonomic notes.

Medium- to large-sized rhizomatous herbs with Musa - like habit. Inflorescence pendent or erect, with peduncle, rachis, and cincinnal bracts usually entirely red, sometimes green distally (rarely yellow); cincinnal bracts distichous or spirally arranged, horizontal or reflexed, usually elongate and tapering. Flowers with diurnal anthesis, fully or partially enclosed in bracts or resupinate and held at right angles to bracts; perianth s-shaped (sigmoid) or c-shaped (sharply curved), free sepal extended or not and reflexed, fused sepals reflexed at tips or not, generally yellow, sometimes white to green; ovary yellow to white (rarely green). Fruits blue, glabrous. The numerous species placed here in subgen. Colubrosae were formerly included in either subgen. Griggsia (with pendent inflorescences) or subgen. Stenochlamys (with erect inflorescences) by both Andersson (1985 a, 1992) and Kress et al. (1999), but these two subgenera were never closely associated. The 1.0 LPP support in the molecular analysis strongly unites the species in these two subgenera into a single monophyletic lineage.

Distribution.

Tropical Central and South America (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Venezuela).