Heliconia Rostrata or Lobster Claw - Inflorescences, bracts, and flowers

The Plant
Heliconias are so oftenly mistaken as the bird of paradise plant (which is originally the Strelitzia) that they've come to be known as the false bird of paradise. Heliconias are also close to the banana family (Musaceae). It's easy to make the connection from the way the plant grows, or the shape of the leaves.

The Lobster Claw has an easy-to-remember name, having inflorescence (which is the "part of a plant that consists of the flower-bearing stalks") looking like cooked lobster's, well, claw.

Plant parts

Inflorescence: part of a plant that consists of the flower-bearing stalks (i.e. the string of lobster claws)

Bract: leaflike or scalelike plant part, usually small, sometimes showy or brightly colored, and located just below a flower, a flower stalk (i.e. 1 lobster claw = 1 bract)

Flower: The reproductive structure of some seed-bearing plants (i.e. The little banana look-alike things in the lobster claw, we can think of it as lobster food or something.)

The Photo

The photo was taken at a glass fence. The plant is often used for landscaping. Actually it was pretty popular about 2-3 years ago, one could find heliconias growing in almost every garden landscaped during that period. I suspect it was due to its bright coloured easy blooms.

As time goes by, though, it proved rather difficult to tame the plant. As they reproduce at the root (as in rhizomes like the ginger), if left to over-grow, heliconias would just get more and more crowded, and the shoots would grow taller and taller trying to reach for the sun. The leaves can become big and bulky, so trimming is difficult as one has to literally crawl underneath and chop it near the ground.

Nevertheless, while it lasts, it's quite pretty and exotic looking. Besides, they could be grown in containers that contain their growth (bearing in mind the containers should be wide and heavy).

The Personal-take

Apparently, heliconias and orchids are the definitive exotic tropical plants. The heliconias stand in a special place in my heart as my parents export these things. One of the things I helped out with was to wrap up the inflorescences in bubble wrap.

If left alone, the lobster claws would continue to grow longer and longer. By the time, it reaches the 10th lobster claw, however, the top-most claw tends to be bruised and imperfect. This is not welcomed for flower used for arrangements or display, which would then not be long-lasting. So, the lobster claws skewers at the florists are usually rather short. It also reduces the time it takes for each harvest and increases the yield.