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Bird-of-paradise family
Strelitziaceae
ゴクラクチョウカ科
A family including the bird of paradise flower (Strelitzia reginae) and traveller's tree (Ravenala). Distributed in South Africa, Madagascar, and tropical America. An early-diverging lineage within Zingiberales, bearing large leaves and highly specialized flower morphology.
Key Characteristics
- ●Large ovate to oblong leaves arranged in two ranks
- ●Flowers protrude from distinctive beak-shaped spathes
- ●Specialized for bird pollination (ornithophily)
- ●Some species develop tree-like or shrub-like stems
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Growth form
Tree / Herb
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Zygomorphic
Petal count
6 petals
Ovary position
Inferior
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Monocots > Zingiberales > Strelitziaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Formation of Southern Hemisphere distribution associated with the breakup of Gondwana
- ・Advanced coevolution through specialization for bird pollination
Plants in Bird-of-paradise family on this site
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