You must have heard about' birds of paradise ' ..the birds with the most beautiful ,differently colored plumage and so, called the birds of heaven....
And here I am talking about a bird of paradise which isn't a bird but a plant... the Strelitzia .
Strelitzia is a plant native to South Africa of only 5 species.
They are commonly known as crane flower and is the floral emblem of the city of Los Angeles.
The leaves are broad and large with a long petiole forming a fan like crown.
Flowering is from May to September and produces flowers in an inflorescence with a stout spathe.The flower made of variously (green or red) colored bracts in a series forming canoe (narrow boat)like structures which bears yellow or orange (sometimes purplish blue or white )colored petals.
The bright color of these flowers gives it a resemblance to the brightly colored bird of paradise.
They are pollinated by sunbirds, which on landing on the spathe helps in releasing the pollens.
The fruit is a capsule with many seeds with an orange tuft of hairs(aril).
They are now a common ornamental plant making our earth a paradise.
And here I am talking about a bird of paradise which isn't a bird but a plant... the Strelitzia .
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| Strelitzia flower |
Strelitzia is a plant native to South Africa of only 5 species.
They are commonly known as crane flower and is the floral emblem of the city of Los Angeles.
The leaves are broad and large with a long petiole forming a fan like crown.
The bright color of these flowers gives it a resemblance to the brightly colored bird of paradise.
They are pollinated by sunbirds, which on landing on the spathe helps in releasing the pollens.
They are now a common ornamental plant making our earth a paradise.
