Heliconia An Identification Guide

Heliconia, large tropical flowers native to Central and South America and some islands of the South Pacific, have become favorite horticultural subjects throughout the world. Many cultivated varieties are available from florists as cut flowers or potted plants in regions where they cannot be grown outdoors and others are commonly used as ornaments for landscaping in the tropics. Fully illustrated with color photographs that capture the reds, yellows, greens, and pinks of long-lasting heliconia blooms, this field guide is the definitive source for easy and efficient identification of 200 species, varieties, hybrids, and cultivars of the genusHeliconia. Botanical and horticultural names are given for each species, along with a brief description of morphological features, blooming time, habitat, and geographic distribution.

FRED BERRY is a Florida horticulturist. W. JOHN KRESS is curator of botany at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.