Smile of Earth- 5

Heliconia

Parakeet flower- Heliconia psittacorum

Heliconia, derived from the Greek word Helikṓnios, is a genus of flowering plants that are native to the tropical forests. All have bold leaves and showy flowers. Several species are widely cultivated as ornamentals and are known by common names like lobster-claws, wild plantains or parrot flowers.

Large, brightly hued bracts that cluster up a stem have inconsequential tiny flowers in their axils. Flower bracts are arranged in terminal racemes, which may be held erect or pendulant.

The plants grow and propagate from underground rhizomes, which can be broken apart and used to start a new plant.
The heliconia family, Heliconiaceae, is most closely related to the gingers and bananas.

Heliconia bihai ‘Claw I’

Pendant heliconia- Heliconia rostrata 

Pendant heliconia- Habit

Smile of Earth- 4

Grass inflorescence

Lemon grass- Cymbopogon citratus

It may not seem like grasses are flowering plants to a layman as the grass flowers don’t look quite like the showy colorful parts most people recognize as flowers. Grasses are definitely flowering plants.

The flowers or inflorescence is called a “spike” or sometimes a “panicle.” Though individual flowers are not attractive, the inflorescence is very much noticeable and some of the ornamental grasses have pretty spikes.

Grasses belong to a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants known as Poaceae or Gramineae. This includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and cultivated lawns and pastures.

Some grass flowers are presented in this post.

Fountain grass – Pennisetum setaceum

Indian lovegrass- Eragrostis pilosa

Umbrella grass- Cyperus alternifolius