Colorful tropical plants threatened with extinction, study finds

Washington Post

16-03-2025

Tropical plants in the genus Heliconia attract hummingbirds, bats and other creatures in the wild — and intrigue plant collectors, who prize them for their intense colors, dramatic beak-like structures and showy flowers.
But nearly half of the species in the genus are threatened with extinction, a new analysis finds, putting the genus — which includes species such as bird-of-paradise look-alike Heliconia rostrata — in danger worldwide.