Strelitzia

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Strelitzia
Strelitzia larger.jpg
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Sublass: Zingiberidae
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Strelitziaceae
Genus: Strelitzia
Ait.

Species
See text

Strelitzia is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. The genus is named after the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, birthplace of Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. The common name of the genus is bird of paradise flower, because of a supposed resemblance of its flowers to the bird of paradise. In South Africa it is commonly known as a "crane" flower.

The species S. nicolai is the largest in the genus, reaching 10 m tall; the other species typically reach 2-6 m tall. The leaves are large, 30-200 cm long and 10-80 cm broad, similar to a banana leaf in appearance but with a longer petiole, and arranged strictly in two ranks to form a fan-like crown of evergreen foliage. The flowers are produced in a horizontal inflorescence emerging from a stout spathe. They are pollinated by sunbirds, which use the spathe as a perch when visiting the flowers; the weight of the bird on the spathe opens it to release the pollen onto the bird's feet, which is then deposited on the next flower it visits.

Species
Hybrids
  • S × kewensis (hybrid between S. reginae and S. augusta)
Links

In The Media

Strelitzia is seen in the TV Series Farscape, it eaten by the Scarrens to enhance their intelligence. (420: "Hot To Katratzi")

References & notes

References

References