Famous worldwide as an ornamental, the heliconia (platanillo), lends an infusion of bizarre color and shape to the tropical landscape. It's represented in Costa Rica by some 30 species; as it thrives in secondary forests, it's very common and is cultivated at places such as Costa Flores near Guapiles. In Costa Rica you're most likely to find heliconias near rivers and along roads; they thrive in light gaps. Most are found in the tropical lowlands or in middle-elevation or cloud forest habitats. The name of these medium to large erect herbs comes from Helicon, a mountain in southern Greece which was believed to have been the home of the muses. They are a member of the order known as the Zingiberales, and there are thought to be around 200-250 species. Relatives within this category include the banana, the birds-of-paradise, the gingers, and the prayer plants. The family name Zingiberales comes from the Sanskrit word sringavera which means "horn shaped" in reference to the rhizomes. Each erect shoot has a stem and leaves which are frequently (although not always) topped by an infloresence with yellow or red bracts. Each infloresence may produce up to 50 hermaphroditic flowers. Leaves are composed of stalk and blade and resemble banana leaves. Flowers produce a blue colored fruit which has three seeds.
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