Stats

Lifespan

Perennial

Size

Medium

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Tropical rainforest

Range

South America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Toxins

Status

Uncommon

About

This perennial herb grows in the tropical forests of South America and the Caribbean. Its bright bracts hide tiny flowers that only open for hummingbirds with specific beak shapes.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Liliopsida

Order

Zingiberales

Family

Heliconiaceae

Genus

Heliconia

Species

Heliconia psittacorum