Strelitzia

Strelitzia

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Plant Info

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Scientific classification

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Kingdom:	Plantae
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Division:	Magnoliophyta
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Class:	Liliopsida
Sublass:	Zingiberidae
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Superorder:	{{{superordo}}}
Order:	Zingiberales
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Superfamily:	{{{superfamilia}}}
Family:	Strelitziaceae
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Genus:	Strelitzia Ait.
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[[{{{diversity_link}}}|Diversity]]

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Species

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Synonyms

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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

Strelitzia alba (syn. S. augusta) - White bird of paradise
Strelitzia caudata - Swaziland Strelitzia, African desert banana
Strelitzia nicolai - White, or Giant bird of paradise; Wild banana
Strelitzia reginae (syn. S. parvifolia) - Strelitzia, Bird of paradise, or Crane lily
Strelitzia juncea (Ker Gawl.) - Greatly reduced or non-existent leaves. Cite.