The Heliconiaceae is a monotypic family containing the single genus Heliconia. The name comes from Mt. Helicon in Greece where the mythological Muses supposedly lived, and reflects the affinity of this genus to that of its close relative, Musa, the banana. It was formerly included in the Musaceae family. Other close relatives in the order Zingiberales are the banana-like genus Strelitzia, or bird-of-paradise, the gingers, Zingiberaceae, and the canna lilies. There are between 200 and 250 species in the family, most native to the Americas and a few in the South Pacific. What most people take as the flowers are actually showy waxy bracts which enclose the true flowers. Other common names include lobster claw, wild plantain and false bird-of-paradise. Heliconias are important sources of food for certain forest hummingbirds and some bats.