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Bird of Paradise
Strelitzia reginae
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A perennial herb native to South Africa. Its distinctive flowers, with orange and blue coloring likened to a bird of paradise, are distributed worldwide as cut flowers and grown as potted plants in Japan.
Identification Points
- βThree orange sepals and blue petal-like tongue create a bird-shaped appearance
- βLeaves oblong with long petioles, resembling banana foliage
- βConspicuous green to reddish-purple boat-shaped spathe encloses the flowers
Habitat
Parks, greenhouses, and flower beds (cultivated)
Season
JanuaryβMay (flowers)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Herb
Leaf shape
Round
Habitat
Cultivated
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Petal count
6 petals
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Zygomorphic
Ovary position
Inferior
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Phylogenetic Positionγ΄γ―γ©γ―γγ§γ¦γ«η§ β
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Monocots > Zingiberales > Strelitziaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene
Evolution Notes
Strelitziaceae belongs to the order Zingiberales, closely related to Musaceae and Zingiberaceae, with floral morphology specialized for bird pollination (sunbirds, etc.).
View on evolution timeline βSources & References
AI-generated, needs verification