Heliconiaceae FAMILY

Heliconia paka

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Heliconia paka is an erect, coarse, perennial plant, superficially resembling a banana, growing 2 - 6 metres tall. The plant forms a dense clump of stems (or more correctly pseudostems) from a rhizomatous rootstock. Each stem is comprised of tightly rolled leaf sheaths. The oblong leaves can be up to 2 - 3 metres long[ 490 Title Flora Vitiensis Nova Publication Author Smith. A.C. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden; Hawaii Year 1979 ISBN Description A comprehensive flora of Fiji, often showing plant uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet. , 859 Title Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 37 Publication Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington Year 1969 ISBN Description A botanical journal, containing various articles on plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangePacific - Fiji.

HabitatDense rainforest and wet thickets at elevations up to 750 metres[ 490 Title Flora Vitiensis Nova Publication Author Smith. A.C. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden; Hawaii Year 1979 ISBN Description A comprehensive flora of Fiji, often showing plant uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet. , 859 Title Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 37 Publication Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington Year 1969 ISBN Description A botanical journal, containing various articles on plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ].