Strelitzia/strɛˈlɪtsiə/[3] is a genus of five species ofperennial plants, native toSouth Africa. It belongs to the plant familyStrelitziaceae.[4] Acommon name of the genus isbird of paradise flower/plant, because of a resemblance of its flowers tobirds-of-paradise. In South Africa, it is commonly known as acrane flower.
| Strelitzia | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Zingiberales |
| Family: | Strelitziaceae |
| Genus: | Strelitzia Banks[1][2] |
| Type species | |
| Strelitzia reginae | |
| Species | |
Two of the species,S. nicolai andS. reginae, are frequently grown ashouseplants.[5] It is thefloral emblem of theCity of Los Angeles and is featured on the reverse of the South African50-cent coin.
Taxonomy
editThe genus was named byJoseph Banks in honour of the British queenCharlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.[6][7]
Description
editThe speciesS. nicolai is the largest in the genus, reaching 10 m (33 ft) tall, with stately white and blue flowers;[8] the other species typically reach 2.0 to 3.5 m (6 ft 7 in to 11 ft 6 in) tall, exceptS. caudata, which is a tree of a typically smaller size thanS. nicolai.
Theleaves are large, 30 to 200 cm (1 ft 0 in to 6 ft 7 in) long and 10 to 80 cm (3.9 in to 2 ft 7.5 in) broad, similar to abanana leaf in appearance, but with a longerpetiole, and arranged strictly in two ranks to form a fan-like crown ofevergreen foliage.
The flowers are produced in a horizontalinflorescence emerging from a stoutspathe.
Biology and propagation
editThey arepollinated bysunbirds andblue-faced honeyeaters, which perch on and drink from the spathe. The weight of the bird when standing on the spathe opens it to release thepollen onto the bird's feet, which is then deposited on the next spathe it visits. It is believed to be the only genus of plants pollinated by the feet of birds.[9]Strelitzia species lack natural insect pollinators; in areas without sunbirds, plants in this genus generally need hand pollination to successfully set seed.[10]
Species and hybrids
editFive species are recognised, although one—S. juncea—has been shown to be genetically nested within another,S. reginae. It is possibly a mutation that is in the process of speciating.[11]
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Native distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Strelitzia alba (syn.S. augusta) | White bird of paradise | Garden Route along the southernmost coastal regions of theEastern andWestern Capes inSouth Africa |
.jpg) | Strelitzia caudata | Mountain strelitzia | Chimanimani Mountains ofZimbabwe south toMozambique, theNorthern Provinces of South Africa, andEswatini |
 | Strelitzia nicolai | White bird of paradise or giant bird of paradise; wild banana; blue-and-white strelitzia[8] | Mozambique,Botswana,Zimbabwe,and Eastern South Africa from theGreat Fish River northwards toRichards Bay |
.jpg) | Strelitzia reginae (syn.S. parvifolia) | Strelitzia, bird of paradise, or crane lily | South Africa (theCape Provinces andKwaZulu-Natal) |
 | Strelitzia juncea (Ker Gawl.) | African desert banana[12] | South Africa nearUitenhage,Patensie, and just north ofPort Elizabeth |
- Strelitzia × kewensis (artificial hybrid betweenS. reginae andS. augusta)
Allergenicity
editPlants in the genusStrelitzia produce no wind-bornepollen, and have anOPALS allergy scale rating of 1, meaning a very low risk of causing allergic reaction.[10]
Journal
editStrelitzia is also the name of the botanic journal of the Pretoria-based National Botanical Institute,[13] which has since been converted into the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). TheStrelitzia journal replacedMemoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa and 'Annals of the Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens.[14]
References
edit- ^"Strelitzia Banks".Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. RetrievedJuly 15, 2022.
- ^"Strelitzia Banks".Catalogue of Life. Species 2000. n.d. RetrievedJuly 15, 2022.
- ^Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607,Sunset Books
- ^"Tropical Flower Guide". Retrieved30 November 2012.
- ^"Our House Plants - Bird of Paradise". Retrieved18 July 2014.
- ^"Strelitzia reginae Banks".Plants of the World Online. 2017. Retrieved27 May 2021.
- ^"Strelitzia reginae".pza.sanbi.org. August 2011. Retrieved27 May 2021.
- ^abEliovson, Sima (1981).Shrubs, trees, and climbers. Macmillan South Africa.ISBN 0-86954-011-4. Retrieved12 September 2009.
- ^Bright, Michael (2001).1000 Wonders of Nature. London: Reader's Digest Association, Ltd. p. 268.ISBN 0-276-42614-2.
- ^abOgren, Thomas (2015).The Allergy-Fighting Garden. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. p. 200.ISBN 978-1-60774-491-7.
- ^Cron, Glynis V.; Pirone, Cary; Bartlett, Madelaine; Kress, W. John; Specht, Chelsea (2012). "Phylogenetic Relationships and Evolution in the Strelitziaceae (Zingiberales)".Systematic Botany.37 (3):606–619.doi:10.1600/036364412X648562.S2CID 17046806.
- ^Strelitzia juncae,Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- ^Strelitzia. 1994.OCLC 478273483. Retrieved22 August 2021.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^"Strelitzia".SANBI. 23 March 2018. Retrieved22 August 2021.
External links
edit
Media related toStrelitzia at Wikimedia Commons
