Heliconia paka A.C.Sm.

• Authority

  Smith, Albert C. 1967. Studies of Pacific Island plants, XVIII. New and noteworthy flowering plants from Fiji. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 37: 69-106.

• Family

  Heliconiaceae

• Scientific Name

  Heliconia paka A.C.Sm.

• Type

  Type in the U.S. National Herbarium, Nos. 2191516-2191519 (4 sheets), collected in dense forest in the hills east of the Wainikoroiluva River, near Namuamua, Namosi Province, Viti Levu, Fiji, alt. 50-200 m., October 15, 1953, by A. C. Smith (No. 8900). Duplicates at Bish, etc.

• Description

  Latin Diagnosis - Herba valida 2-6 m. alta; foliis saepe 3 m. longis vel longioribus glabris, petiolis crassis ad 1 m. longis, laminis lanceolatis 2-3 m. longis medium versus 30-50 cm. latis, basi rotundatis et in petiolum decurrentibus, apice obtusis, costa valida, nervis primariis inter se 0.8-1.5 cm. marginem versus abrupte curvatis; inflorescentia erecta ad 60-70 cm. longa, pedunculo et rhachide crassis 10-15 mm. diametro glabris, pedunculo 5-10 cm. longo, rhachide inconspicue flexuosa; bracteis primariis inter se 2-6 cm, plerumque 12-15, vagina subcoriacea saepe lenticellata marginem versus pilis brunneis 0.3-0.7 mm. longis inconspicue hispidula, lamina subcarnosa late ovato-lanceolata, 30 (inferiore)-13 (superiore) cm. longa, ad 5 cm. lata, ad apicem obtusum gradatim angustata, crasse carinata, margine scariosa, conspicue nervata, praeter margines versus proximo ut vagina pilosa ubique glabra; floribus glabris plerumque 5-8 in axillis bractearum; bracteis sub floribus e basi lata Ianceolatis 6-7 cm. longis 1.5-2 cm. latis acutis multinerviis inconspicue carinatis, praeter pilos rigidos brunneos adpressos circiter 1 mm. longos ad carinam glabris; pedicellis teretibus 2-4 mm. diametro 15-25 mm. longis sub anthesi et fructu superne paullo incrassatis; tepalis liberis in vivo subcarnosis in sicco chartaceis conspicue nervatis 55-60 mm. longis, posteriore 7-9 mm. anterioribus 4-5 mm. interioribus 5-6 mm. latis; staminodio petaloideo tepalum posterius basim versus affixo, parte libera subcarnosa ovato-cucullata acuta ca. 5X5 mm.; staminibus et stylo sub anthesi quam tepalis paullo brevioribus, antlieris 12-13 mm. longis obtusis, stigmate 3-lobato lobis obscure bifidis; ovario elongato-turbinato sub anthesi 10-13 mm. longo et 4-5 mm. diametro; fructu in vivo carnoso in sicco coriaceo ellipsoideo-triquetro ad 25 mm. longo et 20 mm. Iato, basi obtuso, apice anguste truncato; seminibus 3 coriaceis triquetris ca. 18 mm. longis, 6-8 mm. latis, utroque subapiculatis, intus basim versus operculatis, conspicue ruguloso-tuberculatis praecipue faciebus exterioribus et carina dorsali, tuberculis obtusis vel interdum carina complanatis et 1-2 mm. eminentibus.

• Discussion

  The local name "paka" is commonly applied to this indigenous Heliconia, and St. John also records it as "vava ni Viti." The plant is a fairly common component of rain forests and wet thickets at elevations from near sea level up to at least 750 m.; it is more abundant than indicated by the number of collections, as evidently collectors choose not to prepare material of what they take to be a common coarse herb. The leaves are suitable for thatching temporary shelters and the plant is thus well known to local hunters and forest travelers. There is no indication that this species is an introduction, and no justification for referring it to the American H. bihai L. Degener (No. 14352) indicates that the seeds are edible when cooked, and St. John's label suggests that the flowers may be eaten raw or boiled. The collection selected as the type bears good flowers, and several of the other specimens have flowers as well as fruits. Field notes indicate that the outer bracts are red, the inner bracts dull yellow, and the fruit yellow, becoming orange when ripe. Schumann (Pflanzenr. 1 (IV. 45):36. 1900) implies that his concept of H. bihai L. includes not only American plants from the West Indies and Mexico to southern Brazil, but also specimens from Samoa westward to the Moluccas or perhaps to Sumatra. The Fijian material, indeed, keys to H. bihai in his system. Subsequent students of Heliconia have realized that H. bihai coidd not logically be so inclusive. Griggs (Bull. Torrey Club 30:656. 1903) more narrowly defined H. bihai and suggested that it is limited to the West Indies or Guiana. According to Griggs it has an elongate peduncle and bracts mostly concealing the rachis. Thus far most of the Old World taxa lack acceptable specific epithets, but an informative discussion by Ridley (Agric. Bull. Straits Settlem. 7:129-132. 1908) provides descriptions and notes for several of them. As far as can be ascertained at present, none of the names there discussed seem to apply to the species in Fiji. Specimens are now at hand from the island groups from Samoa westward; the available material from the New Hebrides, Solomons, and New Guinea includes several undescribed species, but none of it requires comparison with H. paka. The Samoan collections cited as H. bihai by Christophersen (Bishop Mus. Bull. 128:54. 1935) are superficially similar to my new species, but their seeds are even more coarsely and irregidarly rugulose. The indument of at least some of the Samoan specimens is more abundant (on the sheaths and surfaces of the primary bracts), being present also sometimes on the pedicel and ovary. The inner perianth segments, insofar as observed, appear to have somewhat thicker and more obviously raised nerves. In view of these points, I hesitate to combine the Samoan material with H. paka, although subsequent study may indicate this as the correct disposition.

• Common Names

  paka, vava ni Viti