Heliconia lankesteri

Native to Costa Rica and Panama, this sturdy perennial herb grows from underground rhizomes in humid mountain forests. Broad, oblong leaves have rounded bases and abruptly pointed tips. The upright inflorescence develops on a long stalk, with a slightly bending axis and short intervals between the bracts. Large, ascending red or yellow bracts nearly overlap during flowering, producing a broad triangular display. Red or deep yellow flowers emerge from their sheltered clusters. Rounded fruits develop after flowering. In Costa Rica, its young, still-rolled leaves shelter leaf beetles that feed on the developing foliage. Photographed in Colombia.