Strelitzia

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{{Taxobox | color = lightgreen | name = Strelitzia | image = Strelitzia_larger.jpg | image_width = 240px | regnum = Plantae | divisio = Magnoliophyta | classis = Liliopsida | subclassis = Zingiberidae | ordo = Zingiberales | familia = Strelitziaceae | genus = Strelitzia | genus_authority = Ait. | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text. }}

Strelitzia is a genus of four 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.

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)
Varieties
  • S. reginae v. juncea. Greatly reduced or non-existent leaves.

Image:StrelitziaReginaePlant.jpg Image:StrelitziaReginaeFlower.jpgde:Strelitzien it:Strelitzia nl:Paradijsvogelbloem th:ปักษาสวรรค์

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