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Heliconia latispatha

Benth. (1846)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Zingiberales Family: Heliconiaceae Genus: Heliconia

golden lobster claw, latispatha heliconia

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennial herbs 2–3 m tall.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Longest blade 65–160 cm long, 18–36 cm wide, both surfaces green. Margins entire. Petiolate and sheathing, petioles 20–80 cm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers 10–20 per cincinnus, in erect inflorescences up to 46 cm long (exc. peduncle), rachis green or orange to red and yellow, cincinnal bracts yellowish orange to red, spirally arranged, 8–17 per inflorescence, 12–20 cm long, 5–7 cm wide at base, glabrous, margins straight, middle bract with apex long-acuminate. Flowers bisexual (perfect), perianth consisting of 2 whorls connate at base. Calyx of 2 connate abaxial sepals and 1 nearly distinct adaxial sepal. Perianth green to yellowish green with dark green margins, 3.5–5 cm long, glabrous. Fertile stamens 5, staminode 1; opposite distinct sepal; filaments linear, attached to base of perianth tube; anthers tetrathecal, opening longitudinally. Ovary inferior, green to yellowish green, glabrous. 3-celled; ovules 1 per cell, erect; style 1.

Fruit: Drupes blue; glabrous. Seeds surrounded by a stony; roughened endocarp (pyrenes); embryo straight; endosperm copious.

Ploidy: 2n = 24

Habitat: Cultivated as an ornamental; now naturalized along the Hana Highway on Maui and scattered in various localities on Hawai'i.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Bot. Voy. Sulphur: 170 (1846)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1441 (EM, H); Lorence & Flynn 1997:10 (K); Staples & Herbst 2005:661 (KEY), 665 (DESCR); Daehler & Baker 2006:8 (O)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Heliconia latispatha Lyon Arboretum, roadside near sec 28 Preserved_Specimen Up to 10' ht; bracts yellow, narrow, becoming leafy & green towards the tips; inflor up t0 12 length; calyx, corolla whitish w. greenish streaks; lvs w. reddish margins, midrib & veins pink on underside. Nagata, K.M. 544 Oahu BISH 1969-06-25
2 Heliconia latispatha At 5875 Lokelani Rd, Queen's Acres (Wailua) Garden. Preserved_Specimen Extensive description data on herbarium specimen label. Plant 1.3 m ht, though in naturalized colony much taller. (bordering the margins). Tepals a blend of medium grn, lemon yellow & orange. Hume, L. 398 Kauai BISH 1989-07-27
3 Heliconia latispatha [Hawaiian Islands; U.S.A.; O`ahu; Hawai`i; Honolulu] Preserved_Specimen Plants 6' high; stems & leaf stems maroon spotted on green; lvs ±22' long, 7 wide, acuminate, green on both sides, smooth, shiny below not above; infl. ±12 long, erect, bracts in diff. planes, juv. all orange, later crimson distally, running into ± orange at base, basal bract ca. 8 long, mid-bract 5 long, all ca. 1 wide at base; flwrs yellow & green. Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1954-09-09
4 Heliconia latispatha Lyon Arboretum, roadside near sec 28 Preserved_Specimen Up to 10' ht; bracts yellow, narrow, becoming leafy & green towards the tips; inflor up t0 12 length; calyx, corolla whitish w. greenish streaks; lvs w. reddish margins, midrib & veins pink on underside. Nagata, K.M. 544 Oahu BISH 1969-06-25
5 Heliconia latispatha Waimea Arboretum & Botanical Garden Preserved_Specimen Plant to ca. 7 ft, excluding inflor-total ca. 10 ft; leaf margins maroon; bracts orange; rachis twisting to give appearance of spirally arranged bracts; ovary white w. grn at top; perianth grn; free petal w. dark grn bands at margins. Kirchoff, B.K. 87107 Oahu BISH 1988-05-29
6 Heliconia latispatha [Hawaiian Islands; U.S.A.; O`ahu; Hawai`i; Honolulu] Preserved_Specimen Plants 6' high; stems & leaf stems maroon spotted on green; lvs ±22' long, 7 wide, acuminate, green on both sides, smooth, shiny below not above; infl. ±12 long, erect, bracts in diff. planes, juv. all orange, later crimson distally, running into ± orange at base, basal bract ca. 8 long, mid-bract 5 long, all ca. 1 wide at base; flwrs yellow & green. Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1954-09-09
7 Heliconia latispatha Waimea Arboretum & Botanical Garden Preserved_Specimen Plant to ca. 7 ft, excluding inflor-total ca. 10 ft; leaf margins maroon; bracts orange; rachis twisting to give appearance of spirally arranged bracts; ovary white w. grn at top; perianth grn; free petal w. dark grn bands at margins. Kirchoff, B.K. 87107 Oahu BISH 1988-05-29
8 Heliconia latispatha [Hawaiian Islands; U.S.A.; O`ahu; Hawai`i; Honolulu] Preserved_Specimen Plants 6' high; stems & leaf stems maroon spotted on green; lvs ±22' long, 7 wide, acuminate, green on both sides, smooth, shiny below not above; infl. ±12 long, erect, bracts in diff. planes, juv. all orange, later crimson distally, running into ± orange at base, basal bract ca. 8 long, mid-bract 5 long, all ca. 1 wide at base; flwrs yellow & green. Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1954-09-09
9 Heliconia latispatha Honolulu, Old Pali Rd, Mrs. Lester Marks' place Preserved_Specimen Flower bract orange grading to red at margins, flowers w.in are orange w. green band. Clay, H.F. Oahu BISH 1954-04-07
10 Heliconia latispatha [Hawaiian Islands; U.S.A.; O`ahu; Hawai`i; Honolulu] Preserved_Specimen Plants 6' high; stems & leaf stems maroon spotted on green; lvs ±22' long, 7 wide, acuminate, green on both sides, smooth, shiny below not above; infl. ±12 long, erect, bracts in diff. planes, juv. all orange, later crimson distally, running into ± orange at base, basal bract ca. 8 long, mid-bract 5 long, all ca. 1 wide at base; flwrs yellow & green. Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1954-09-09
11 Heliconia latispatha Honolulu, Foster Gardens Preserved_Specimen Fl head erect; rachis grn to orange; bracts bright orange, long, slender; fls pale grn striped w. dark grn; juv fr pale grn; stem very slender, not more than 3/8 in diam. Robertson, Mrs.J.L. Oahu BISH 1942-08-25
12 Heliconia latispatha [Hawaiian Islands; U.S.A.; O`ahu; Hawai`i; Honolulu] Preserved_Specimen Plants 6' high; stems & leaf stems maroon spotted on green; lvs ±22' long, 7 wide, acuminate, green on both sides, smooth, shiny below not above; infl. ±12 long, erect, bracts in diff. planes, juv. all orange, later crimson distally, running into ± orange at base, basal bract ca. 8 long, mid-bract 5 long, all ca. 1 wide at base; flwrs yellow & green. Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1954-09-09
13 Heliconia latispatha Honolulu, 2436 Burbank St Preserved_Specimen Plant ca. 7 ft ht; lvs dull drk-grn above, lighter shiny-grn below; midrib, petiole & sheath grn spotted ca. w. purple, midrib cobwebby, blades pointed. Inflor erect spirally arrranged, bracts ca. 4x7/8 in wide when fresh, bright red w. lemon-yellow at base & on rachis. Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1943-10-16
14 Heliconia latispatha [Hawaiian Islands; U.S.A.; O`ahu; Hawai`i; Honolulu] Preserved_Specimen Plants 6' high; stems & leaf stems maroon spotted on green; lvs ±22' long, 7 wide, acuminate, green on both sides, smooth, shiny below not above; infl. ±12 long, erect, bracts in diff. planes, juv. all orange, later crimson distally, running into ± orange at base, basal bract ca. 8 long, mid-bract 5 long, all ca. 1 wide at base; flwrs yellow & green. Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1954-09-09
15 Heliconia latispatha Waimea Arboretum & Botanical Garden Preserved_Specimen Cory, C. 10 Oahu BISH 1986-02-27
16 Heliconia latispatha Along rd 1/4 mi S of Keaau town Preserved_Specimen Herb to 4m. Lvs grn, semi-shiny above; shiny lighter grn below; margin & midrib below tinged red-purple. Bracts yellow-orange, spirally arranged. Inflor upright, ovary white, apex yellow, flr yellow-green, filaments white, anthers cream, frt blue. Teraoka, W. 142 Hawaii BISH 1979-09-27
17 Heliconia latispatha At 5875 Lokelani Rd, Queen's Acres (Wailua) Garden. Preserved_Specimen Extensive description data on herbarium specimen label. Plant 1.3 m ht, though in naturalized colony much taller. bordering the margins). Tepals a blend of medium grn, lemon yellow & orange. Hume, L. 398 Kauai BISH 1989-07-27
18 Heliconia latispatha At former Kailua Nursery site Preserved_Specimen Smith, L.B. 145 Oahu BISH 1976-07-17
19 Heliconia latispatha Waimea Arboretum & Botanical Garden Preserved_Specimen Cory, C. 10 Oahu BISH 1986-02-27
20 Heliconia latispatha Waimea Arboretum In partial shade. Preserved_Specimen Plants 2.5 m tall; inflor bracts crimson, except for the bases which are canary yellow to orange. Ovaries cream w. lime grn distally. Sepals & petals a combination of lime grn & avocado grn. Lau, J. 2689 Oahu BISH 1986-07-28
21 Heliconia latispatha At 5875 Lokelani Rd, Queen's Acres (Wailua) Garden. Preserved_Specimen Extensive description data on herbarium specimen label. Plant 1.3 m ht, though in naturalized colony much taller. (bordering the margins). Tepals a blend of medium grn, lemon yellow & orange. Hume, L. 398 Kauai BISH 1989-07-27
22 Heliconia latispatha Waimea Arboretum In dappled shade. Preserved_Specimen Plants in a dense clump, about 4 m tall, inflors. erect, bracts orange, ovaries cream, sepals & petals a combination of creamy yellow & med green. Lau, J. 2667 Oahu BISH 1986-07-21
23 Heliconia latispatha Foster Botanic Garden In partial shade. Preserved_Specimen Plants up to 2 m tall; the sheathes & petioles are marked by reddish brown spots & patches; the inflor bracts w.out are canary yellow (especially proximally & away from the margins) grading through orange & finally crimson (particularly distally & bordering the margins). Tepals a blend of medium grn, lemon yellow & orange. Lau, J. 1707 Oahu BISH 1985-12-02
24 Heliconia latispatha Waimea Arboretum In dappled shade. Preserved_Specimen Plants in a dense clump, about 4 m tall, inflors. erect, bracts orange, ovaries cream, sepals & petals a combination of creamy yellow & med green. Lau, J. 2667 Oahu BISH 1986-07-21
25 Heliconia latispatha Foster Botanic Garden In partial shade. Preserved_Specimen Plants up to 2 m tall; the sheathes & petioles are marked by reddish brown spots & patches; the inflor bracts w.out are canary yellow (especially proximally & away from the margins) grading through orange & finally crimson (particularly distally & bordering the margins). Tepals a blend of medium grn, lemon yellow & orange. Lau, J. 1707 Oahu BISH 1985-12-02
26 Heliconia latispatha Waimea Arboretum In partial shade. Preserved_Specimen Plants 2.5 m tall; inflor bracts crimson, except for the bases which are canary yellow to orange. Ovaries cream w. lime grn distally. Sepals & petals a combination of lime grn & avocado grn. Lau, J. 2689 Oahu BISH 1986-07-28
27 Heliconia latispatha Haukulu, Lyon Arboretum, Manoa Lowland mesic setting. Preserved_Specimen Bracts orange. Established among dense Oplismenus and ferns. Daehler, C. 1304 Oahu BISH 2005-06-22
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