Heliconia section Colubrosae W. J. Kress, 2025

Kress, W. John, Fér, Tomáš & Carlsen, Mónica M., 2025, Phylogenomics and a new classification of the tropical genus Heliconia L. (Monocots, Zingiberales, Heliconiaceae), PhytoKeys 251, pp. 37-66 : 37-66

1.4. 1. Heliconia section Colubrosae W. J. Kress , sect. nov.

Figs 4 A, B

Type.

Heliconia dielsiana Loes.

Description and taxonomic notes.

Medium- to large-sized rhizomatous herbs with Musa - like habit. Inflorescence pendent, 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; perianth s-shaped (sigmoid), free sepal extended and reflexed, fused sepals reflexed at tips, generally yellow, sometimes white to green; ovary yellow to white. Fruits blue, glabrous. The species placed in sect. Colubrosae were formerly included in subgen. Griggsia by both Andersson (1992) and Kress et al. (1999) with the majority of species placed in either the informal H. trichocarpa group or H. obscura group by Andersson (1992) and the unpublished sects. Sigmoideae, Pendulae, Obscurae, and Dromadarius by Kress et al. (1999). Section Colubrosae is the largest group of species in the genus with pendent inflorescences and the 1.0 LPP support in the molecular analysis strongly unites monophyletic sect. Colubrosae sister to sect. Curvae . The genomic data place H. pendula Wawra in sect. Heliconia , however, the pendent inflorescence with spirally arranged bracts, extended and reflexed free sepals, and fused sepals reflexed at the tips suggest that this species is more properly placed in sect. Colubrosae .

Species.

+ Heliconia badilloi Abalo & Morales ; + H. berriziana Abalo & Morales ; + H. caquetensis Abalo & Morales ; + H. chrysocraspeda Abalo & Morales ; * H. colgantea R. R. Smith ex Daniels & Stiles ; + H. combinata Abalo & Morales ; * H. dielsiana Loes. ; + H. estiletioides Abalo & Morales ; + H. fernandezii Abalo & Morales ; + H. fredberryana W. J. Kress ; * H. huilensis Abalo & Morales ; + H. intermedia Abalo & Morales ; + H. laxa Abalo & Morales ; + H. lentiginosa Abalo & Morales ; * H. lozanoi Abalo & Morales ; * H. maculata W. J. Kress ; + H. mucilagina Abalo & Morales ; * H. mutisiana Cuatrecasas ; + H. nariniensis Abalo & Morales ; * H. necrobracteata W. J. Kress ; + H. nitida Abalo & Morales ; * H. obscura Abalo & Morales ; * H. obscuroides L. Anderss. ; * H. oleosa Abalo & Morales ; * H. pendula Wawra †; + H. peteriana Abalo & Morales ; * H. reptans Abalo & Morales ; * H. riopalenquensis Dodson & A. Gentry ; + H. robertoi Abalo & Morales ; * H. robusta Pax ; * H. sclerotricha Abalo & Morales ; + H. signa-hispanica Abalo & Morales ; * H. talamancana Daniels & Stiles ; * H. trichocarpa Daniels & Stiles ; + H. villosa Kl.

Distribution.

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

Figures

Figure 4. Representatives of two subgenera and six sections in the new classification of Heliconia A – D subgenus Colubrosae A, B sect. Colubrosae: A H. dielsiana B H. mutisiana C, D sect. Curvae: C H. burleana D H. gilbertiana E – L subgen. Heliconia E, F sect. Heliconia: E H. bihai F H. orthotricha G, H sect. Lasia: G H. julianii H H. lasiorachis I, J sect. Cannastrum: I H. deflexa J H. venusta K, L sect. Longiflorae: K H. longiflora L H. schumanniana.