Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Heliconia rostrata (Mizo-Changelpar, Bangladeshi-Jhulonto Chingri, Popular-Lobster claw/Hanging Heliconia/False bird of paradise/Crabclaw/Toucan beak/Parrot's beak/Flowering banana)Heliconiaceae. It is a herbaceous, perennial and rhizomatous plant growing upto 3 to 6 feet. Leaves are oval with a dark glossy green colour and are very similar to those of the banana tree. The most decorative part of the plant are their bracts. Bracts are modified leaves with a flower or cluster of flowers at the axil. They are thick, erect and found in a variety of colours including the most popular red, orange and yellow. Flowers are shaped like lobster claws or a parrot beak and face downwards. Seeds are small and globular, on ripening, they turn to dark blue or purple. It is widely used as an ornamental in landscapes and gardens. The young shoots can be eaten. Leaves are used for making roofs by natives. It is the national flower of Bolivia and is native to Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colum...