HELICONIA

K.Ravindra KumarPh.D. 1st YearRoll No. 10461

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HabitatHabitat

Found in natural tropical forest- water, rich soil and sunlight

Can be found in moist or wet regions some times, in seasonally dry areas

Elevation: Below 1500 feet Most of the genus are near the river banks and

patches of the forest

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As a cut flower : Brilliant colour, exotic form, long straight peduncles and excellent post harvest life.

In the landscape

As potted plants – Heliconia psittacorum, Heliconia stricta, Heliconia angusta, cv. Golden touch

Interior landscape – Heliconia psittacorum, Heliconia angusta, Heliconia cv. Golden torch.

Leaves are used for leaf thatching as well as food wrappers (Carribean & Mexico)

In Brazil roots and seeds of certain varieties are used for medicinal purposes.

Importance:Importance:

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• There are about 89 species under the genus Heliconia and more than 350 varieties

Taxonomy

Family: Heliconiaceae Order: Zingiberales

Taxonomy

Family: Heliconiaceae Order: Zingiberales

Erect heliconias are stand straight with bracts pointing up

Pendent heliconias hang with bracts pointing down

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BotanyBotany

Heliconias derive their beauty from highly modified leaves or

bracts.

Colour varies from pink, red, orange, yellow and different

combinations.

The stalk length range from 0.5 to 3.0 m, and inflorescence size from

10 to 50 cm.

Depend on variety heliconias will range in height from two to twenty

feet, often with extensive rhizomatous growth.

In Heliconia thread like structures connecting the pollen grains.

Heliconias are found to be diploid with 2n = 24 chromosomes

Triploid (2n = 3x = 36) cultivars also found to exist

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Pollinator- Humming birdPollinator- Humming bird

They are the only pollinators in heliconia Sexual dimorphism in the purple-throated carib

(Eulampis jugularis)

Male Female

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Heliconia species with two color morphs:

Red - bracted morph with longer, more curved flowers matching the bills of females

Yellow - bracted morph with shorter, straighter flowers matching the bills of males

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Green-bracted morph with flowers matching the bills of females

H. bihai, with a red-green bracted morph with flowers matching the bills of males

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Species and cultivars

Heliconia stricta

Has beautiful inflorescence resembling lobster claws

Colours are ranged from red, gold, orange, maroon and green singly or in combination

These exotic tropicals are ideal for small arrangements as their inflorescence range from 5” – 12” long and are not too heavy

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Heliconia strictaBucky

Fire bird

Dwarf Jamaican

Royal Tagami

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Heliconia stricta “Sharonii”

•The broad foliage is borne on stiff red stalks

• Blooms from late July to February

• Sensational red and yellow inflorescence that stands erect

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Heliconia rostrata

•Traditional and most recognized heliconias with magnificient pendant inflorescence of alternating bracts each 6 – 10 cm long, scarlet red tipped with cream to yellow

• A deep red colour covers most of each bract with yellow green tips

• Blooms year round

• One of the hardiest varieties

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Heliconia psittacorum

• The psittacorum (or parrot’s beak) heliconias are small, dainty and exotically tropical and resemble the plant known commonly as Bird- of- Paradise

• Flower heads appear to be hand painted and glow with brillant colours and greenish yellow flowers with black spots near apex and bloom abundantly all year

• The cultivar Tay proved very productive, while Andromeda was similar but taller, with more flower heads

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Heliconia psittacorumAndromeda

Lady Di

Nickeriensis SassyGolden torch

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Heliconia latispatha

• Erect inflorescence with well seperated boat shaped bracts orange yellow at the base and red towards tip Greenish flowers

• Native to Central and South America

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Heliconia bihai

• Wild plantain/ Fire bird

• Greenish yellow flowers clustered in the axils of large stiff boat shaped crimson red flattened bracts with pointed tip and arranged in two ranks on erect inflorescence

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Heliconia distans Heliconia angustifolia Heliconia collinsiana

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Heliconia indica has fairly insignificant flowers, but often has spectacular foliage.

Heliconia indica - foliage types

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PropagationPropagation

Seed propagationSeed propagation In tropical countries- Natural pollination occurs and

propagated by seed Pollination- Humming birds and bats Gerimation of H.psittacorum and other species- 2-3

months under 280C Time required for flowering will vary with the species Smaller species- erect inflorescence- bloom in year Larger species - two to more years, rarely seed

propagated Seeds are mostly sterile

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Vegetative propagationVegetative propagation

Rhizomes, side shoots and suckers from mother plant

Rhizomes- Terminal and axillary buds

Division- One terminal and axillary bud

Single-eye rhizome can be used- late development

Several eyes- rapid establishment

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Tissue cultureTissue culture

More plantlet regeneration was induced from callus derived from shoot tips

Murashige and Skoog medium containing 0.5 g/l activated charcoal, 1.0 g/l casein hydrolysate and 80 μM 2,4-D

2,4-D -40 μM and subculturing at 6-week intervals enabled long-term maintenance of this regenerative callus

Regenerated plants were successfully transferred to field conditions Marie et al., (1993)

The activated charcoal was essential to embryo germination.

Souza et al., (2010) Axillary and terminal buds of the rhizome are commonly used in TC plants

production

Nathan et al., (1992)

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Light Light

More light intensityMore light intensity Growth and yield improved More light intensity penetration increases the

flower production 4 times more yield than 63% shade

Lower light intensityLower light intensity Shade grown plants- Taller and weak, bract

colour is slight intense, low productivity Flower quality and post harvest- No variation

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PhotoperiodismPhotoperiodism

Cultivar: Dwarf Jamaican 8 hr day- 6 weeks

– More flowers, good yield– Advanced flowering – Fewer leaves– Short stem length

3-4 weeks of the SD- for the flower bud initiation 16 hrs- Long stem length Photoperiod have only slight effect on the

growth and flowering

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TemperatureTemperature

Grows well under the temperature of 21 to 350C

Increasing the minimum air temperature of 15 to 210C- shoot emergence and the no. of flowering stem/ m2, stem length and quality- doubled in cv. Tay

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Shade regulationShade regulation

Cultivars studied: H.bihai cv. Lobster Claw and H.latispatha

Shade level: 0, 40, 60 Duration: 20 months- 5 generation shoots were

developed No. of shoots per clump- high in H.bihai H.bihai

– 1st flowering in 12 months– Peak flowering: March- June

H.latispatha– 1st flowering in 10 months– Irregular patter of the flowering cycle- Peak- Jul and Aug

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Inter cropping in Coconut gardensInter cropping in Coconut gardens

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Inter cropping in Coconut gardensInter cropping in Coconut gardens

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Effect of spacing Effect of spacing

Spacing: 20 x 20 and 40 x 40 cm40 x 40 cm Sizes of the rhizome: 10, 20, 30 and 40g 40g Largest rhizomes

– Greater mean performances – Max. inflorescence/ clump/ sq.m– Inflorescence size is reduced– Increased plant height

Smallest rhizome– Large inflorescence- 18.56 cm– Optimum size of the rhizome- 40g

Wider spacing:– Taller plants– Larger inflorescence Talukdar, 2000

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Spacing for different speciesSpacing for different species

H.psittacorum: 0.75-1m

H.hirsuta, H.metallica, H.angusta, H.aurantiaca and smaller H.stricta: 1.2-1.5m

H.rostrata, H.angusta Flava, , taller H.stricta: 1.5-2 m

H.caribaea, H.bihai, H.chartacea, H.wagneriana, H.indica, H.champneiana, H.platystachys: 2-2.5 m

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Planting methodPlanting method

Planted in ground beds Depth of planting: 30cm Bed width: 90 cm is optimum Narrow beds: insufficient use of space Wider beds

– Flower harvesting is more difficult– Taller plants at centre- low light penetration

through dense foliage

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MediaMedia

Three organic substrates,– Carbonised rice hull, – Dry and green coir dust, and

Fertilizers– Vitasolo– Earthworm humus

The rice hull was more efficient than the coir dust (dry or green);

Green coir dust was more efficient than dry coir dust Humus was more efficient than Vitasolo

Pizano, 2005

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ReplantingReplanting

If crowding is severe– Beds should be dugged, divided and

replanted in 2 years– Harvest- Inflorescence + leaves- at ground

level Heliconia flowers in terminal Harvested stalks compete for the light,

water and nutrients- It should be removed

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IrrigationIrrigation

Use substantial amount of water Poor drainage- Major root problem Water stress- Longitudinal rolling of foliage Over head sprinklers

– Relieve water stress in leaves – Uniform spreading through the dense foliage till

the centre Low level sprinklers- inefficient due to

density of the pseudostem

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Manures and fertilizers Manures and fertilizers

Rich compost and more water- Active growing season

FYM- 4kg/m2

20g N, P2O5, K2O/M2- at the time of planting

N-20g/m2-top dressing- after 2 months N:K ratio- Increases

– Size of the plants– Size of the inflorescence

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Heavy feeder, good response to fertigation- Increase plant size, flower size ad productivity

Balanced soluble fertilizers High nitrogen Rapid growth and flowering Terminal inflorescence initiated with pre determined no.

of leaves 4-6 leaves in H.Psittacorum

3-4 times /year- Foliar spray

Better leaf colour

Recover the micro nutrient deficiency

Micronutrients

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Deficiency symptomsDeficiency symptoms

Iron deficiency– High soil pH

– Poor drainage

Yellowing in young leaves Yellow bands along the older leaf margins-

Magnesium deficiency Nitrogen- overall yellowing of plants

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HarvestHarvest

Erect and pendulous terminal inflorescence Colourful boat shaped bracts Up to 20 florets/ bract Flowers are harvested with peduncles of 70 cm Flowers are harvested- in the early day when turgid Mid day harvest- Poor post harvest life Inflorescence last longer- harvested from well

irrigated field Cut at the desirable stage

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Harvesting timeHarvesting time

H.psittacorum- one or two open bracts

Larger size heliconias- one half to two third development

H.psittacorum- shipped with one or two leaves intact

H.psittacorum flowers superficially resembles the BOP

Bracts are bright colour with the pink, red, orange and yellow flowers

Yield:Yield: 60 to 120 stems/m2

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Post harvest practicesPost harvest practices

Water uptake by the cut heliconia flowers are negligible

Flowers do not open after harvest Even provided with bud opening and sucrose solution Floral preservatives have the little effect on the PH

life Shipped in boxes with moist package More storage time- less vase life

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Treating the inflorescenceTreating the inflorescence

Whole inflorescence dipped in insecticide Rinsed with water Hand cleaning

– To dislodge insects– Remove the dead flowers

Stalks are held in waters

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Floral preservatives and storageFloral preservatives and storage

No effect on the vase life – Poor vascular development at the base of the stem

Anti-transpirants- improve the vaselife slightly– Failure-complete covering of the bract

PH Life: 14-15 days in deionized water with/ without preservative

Storage < 100C- flowers are damagedJaroenkit et al, (2003)

Storage in 120C under reduced pressure- stored for at least four weeks

Zimmer and Carow, 1977

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GradingGrading

Fit to the box- 150 cm H.psittacorum trimmed to 60-90 cm 10 flowers per bunch In 150x50x25 cm box- 25 such bunch are placed Moist and shredded newspapers are used to reduce

damage Plastic sleeves are used to prevent bruishing

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