1.5. 9. Heliconia section Pastazae W. J. Kress, sect. nov.

Figs 5 K, L

Type.

Heliconia pastazae L. Anderss.

Description and taxonomic notes.

Medium-sized rhizomatous herbs with Musa - like habit. Inflorescence pendent, with peduncle, rachis and cincinnal bracts usually red with yellow distally along margins (rarely completely yellow or green); cincinnal bracts sub-distichous to spirally arranged, separated. Flowers with diurnal anthesis, not resupinate and fully to partially enclosed in bracts; perianth with short to medium-sized tube, uniformly curved, yellow to green, glabrous; ovary white to green to yellow, glabrous. Fruits blue, glabrous. Most of the species in this section have been considered as related and informally placed in the H. platystachys group (Andersson 1985 b, 1992) or the unpublished sect. Pendulae (Kress et al., 1999). The strong LPP support (0.92) for sect. Pastazae is further evidence for its recognition as a distinct monophyletic lineage within subgen. Heliconia .

Species.

* Heliconia abaloi G. Morales; * H. chartacea Lane ex Barreiros; * H. pastazae L. Anderss.; * H. platystachys Baker; + H. rigida Abalo & Morales.

Distribution.

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