The morphological and anatomical features of the inflorescence bracts were studied in H. rivularis, H. spathocircinata and H. velloziana (subg. Heliconia) and in H. angusta, H. hirsuta and H. subulata subsp. gracilis (subg. Stenochlamys). All species are found in São Paulo State. In the subg. Heliconia the bracts are cymbiform and in Stenochlamys they are lanceolate-conduplicated. All species have bracts with uniseriate epidermis, with thin-walled cells, tetracytical stomata in H. hirsuta and H. subulata, and polycytical in the others; the vascular bundles and air canals are distributed in arc-shaped and the fiber bundles are situated close to the abaxial surface. The bract shape, associated with the distribution of the fiber bundles and with the size of the air canals were different in both studied subgenera. An identification key was made based on morphological and anatomical features.
anatomy; morphology; bracts; Heliconia; Heliconiaceae
