Tropical Plant Database - Plant Details

Heliconias are very attractive tropical plants with banana-like leaves and beautiful, long lasting inflorescences composed of bracts which contain the true flowers. Heliconia episcopalis is an erect plant about 3 to 7 feet tall, with banana-like leaves of a medium green and without gray wax found in other heliconias. Heliconia episcopalism blooms most of the year. The long lasting inflorescence has an unusual arrowhead shape like an episcopal miter, hence the name “episcopalis”. The inflorescence is composed of tightly arranged bracts which begin red, and then as the flower matures, the inflorescence elongates and the bracts fade to orange and yellow toward the tips with black faded true flowers coming out of the bracts.
(Kepler, A. K. 1999. Exotic Tropicals of Hawaii.)
(Berry, Fred and Kress, W.J. 1991. Heliconia: An Identification Guide.)

The plants are found along watercourses in Amazonian South America - Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guyana, Surinam, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru.
(Kepler, A. K. 1999. Exotic Tropicals of Hawaii.)
(Berry, Fred and Kress, W.J. 1991. Heliconia: An Identification Guide.)

(Information for this species compiled and recorded by Camelia Cirnaru, NTBG Consultant.)

We currently have 3 herbarium specimens for Heliconia episcopalis in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.

• 008611 - collected by W. J. Kress in 1990
• 008610 - collected by W. J. Kress in 1990
• 010920 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1990