Strelitzia reginae | |
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Flower | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Zingiberales |
Family: | Strelitziaceae |
Genus: | Strelitzia |
Species: | S. reginae |
Binomial name | |
Strelitzia reginae | |
Strelitzia reginae, commonly known as the crane flower, bird of paradise, or isigude in Nguni, [3] is a species of flowering plant native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. An evergreen perennial, it is widely cultivated for its dramatic flowers. In temperate areas it is a popular houseplant.
Joseph Banks described the species in 1788. [2] The specific epithet reginae means “of the queen”, and commemorates the British queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. [3] Common names such as “crane flower” and “bird of paradise” reference the open flower’s resemblance to the head and beak of a colourful exotic bird. [4]
A new subspecies was discovered growing alongside the Mzimvubu River in South Africa’s Eastern Cape in 2002. [5] When wild-collected plants began to flower in the greenhouse at Kirstenbosch, they were noted to have white, rather than the typical blue inner petals. They also had a shorter stigma (10–15 millimetres (3⁄8–9⁄16 in) vs. 30 millimetres (1+3⁄16 in)) and subtle differences of the leaves. The new subspecies is called Strelitzia reginae subsp. mzimvubuensis. [6]
Genetic analysis reveals Strelitzia juncea has been shown to be genetically nested within S. reginae. It is possibly a mutation that is in the process of speciating. [7]
This section relies largely or entirely on a single source .(May 2022) |
The plant grows to 2 m (6+1⁄2 ft) tall, with large, strong leaves 25–70 cm (10–28 in) long and 10–30 cm (4–12 in) broad, produced on petioles up to 1 m (40 in) long. The leaves are evergreen and arranged in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown. The flowers stand above the foliage at the tips of long stalks. The hard, beak-like sheath from which the flower emerges is termed the spathe . This is placed perpendicular to the stem, which gives it the appearance of a bird's head and beak; it makes a durable perch for holding the sunbirds which pollinate the flowers. The flowers, which emerge one at a time from the spathe, consist of three orange sepals and three purplish-blue or white petals. Two of the petals are joined together to form an arrow-like nectary. When the sunbirds sit to drink the nectar, the third petal opens to release the anther and cover their feet in pollen. [8]
Strelitzia reginae is very popular as an ornamental plant. It was first introduced to Britain in 1773, when it was grown at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Since then, it has been widely introduced around the world, including the Americas and Australia, growing well in any area that is sunny and warm. In the United States, Florida and California are the main areas of cultivation, due to their warm climate. It is a common ornamental plant in Southern California, and has been chosen as the official flower of City of Los Angeles. [9] [10]
In areas with cold winters it is normally grown under glass, in a cool sunny position such as a greenhouse or conservatory, as it tolerates only light frosts [11] and does not grow well in temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F). However, it may be placed outside during the summer months. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [12] [13]
It is a low-maintenance plant that is easy to grow in the garden; it is fairly tolerant of soil conditions and needs little water once established. If cared for well, they will flower several times in a year. They will thrive in rich loamy soil, especially when they get plenty of water throughout the year. They do well in full sun to semi-shade and respond well to regular feeding with a controlled release fertiliser and compost.[ citation needed ] They are sensitive to cold and need to be sheltered from frost, as it can damage the flowers and leaves.
S. reginae is propagated by seed or division. Seedlings are slow-growing and will not bloom for three to five years, though it can exceptionally flower at two years. [14] It flowers only when properly established and division of the plant may affect flowering patterns. The flowers are, however, quite long-lasting once they appear. Peak flowering is in the winter and early spring. There is a yellow-flowered cultivar of this plant known as ‘Mandela's Gold’. [15]
Bird-of-paradise plants have an OPALS allergy scale rating of 1, and are considered "allergy-fighting"; they produce no airborne pollen. [16]
Agapanthus africanus, or the African lily, is a flowering plant from the genus Agapanthus found only on rocky sandstone slopes of the winter rainfall fynbos from the Cape Peninsula to Swellendam. It is also known as the lily-of-the-Nile in spite of only occurring in South Africa.
Strelitzia is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. It belongs to the plant family Strelitziaceae. A common name of the genus is bird of paradise flower/plant, because of a resemblance of its flowers to birds-of-paradise. In South Africa, it is commonly known as a crane flower.
Aloidendron barberae, formerly Aloe bainesii and Aloe barberae, also known as the tree aloe, is a species of succulent plant in the genus Aloidendron. It is native to South Africa northwards to Mozambique. In its native climes this slow-growing tree can reach up to 60 feet (18 m) high and 36 inches (0.91 m) in stem diameter. An A. barberae planted at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town in 1922 had by 2011 grown to have a basal diameter of ten feet. Aloidendron barberae is Africa's largest aloe-like plant. The tree aloe is often used as an ornamental plant. Its tubular flowers are rose pink (green-tipped); it flowers in winter and in its natural environment is pollinated by sunbirds.
Zantedeschia elliottiana, golden arum or golden calla lily, yellow calla lily, is an ornamental herbaceous plant in the family Araceae. It grows from a bulb. It is said to occur in the province of Mpumalanga in South Africa, although other sources say that it is not found in the wild but appears to be a hybrid of garden origin.
Strelitzia juncea, the rush-leaved strelitzia or narrow-leaved bird of paradise, is a monocotyledonous flowering plant that is indigenous to South Africa. This drought-resistant Strelitzia occurs sparingly near Uitenhage, Patensie and just north of Port Elizabeth. It is the only Strelitzia species which typically lacks a lamina, or leaf blade. It is threatened in part by illegal removal for horticultural purposes. This species is thought to be one of the most frost-resistant of the genus Strelitzia.
Grewia occidentalis, the crossberry, is a species of deciduous tree, indigenous to Southern Africa.
Cleretum bellidiforme, commonly called Livingstone daisy, Bokbaaivygie (Afrikaans), or Buck Bay vygie, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. It is a low-growing succulent annual growing to 25 cm (10 in), and cultivated for its iridescent, many-petalled, daisy-like blooms in shades of white, yellow, orange, cream, pink and crimson. In temperate areas it is popularly grown as a half-hardy annual, and lends itself to mass plantings or as edging plants in summer bedding schemes in parks and gardens. It is still widely referenced under its former names, Mesembryanthemum criniflorum and Dorotheanthus bellidiformis.
Strelitzia alba also known as white-flowered wild banana, or Cape wild banana is a plant of the Bird of Paradise family and is endemic to the Garden Route along the southernmost coastal regions of the district of Humansdorp Eastern and district of Knysna in Western Cape in South Africa. It grows in evergreen forest, gorges, and on slopes along the rivers.
Graham Dugald Duncan is a South African botanist and specialist bulb horticulturalist at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town, South Africa.
Lachenalia viridiflora, commonly known as the green-flowered Cape cowslip or turquoise hyacinth, is a species of flowering plant in the asparagus family native to the southwest Cape Provinces of South Africa. It was discovered in the 1960s, and first described in 1972 by Winsome Fanny Barker.
Protea aurea subsp. potbergensis, also known as the Potberg protea, or Potberg sugarbush, is a flowering plant of the genus Protea. It is endemic to South Africa and is found only in the Potberg near Cape Infanta. It grows to a height of 5 metres, and flowers primarily from May to June.
Didymaotus is a monotypic genus of flowering plant belonging to the family Aizoaceae, containing the single species Didymaotus lapidiformis. The plant is also known by the names stone plant and beeskloutjie. It occurs natively in the arid regions of Tanqua Karoo, near Ceres in the Western Cape. The generic name is taken from the Greek words didymos, meaning double, and aotus, meaning flower; the plant that bears two flowers. The specific epithet lapidiformis means stone-like, as it is not easily seen, blending in with its surroundings.
Lobostemon montanus, the turquoise bush bugloss, mountain lobostemon or agtdaegeneesbos, is a South African species belonging to the forget-me-not family.
Lobostemon belliformis, the Gouriqua lobostemon or beaut healthbush, is a critically endangered species in the forget-me-not family. It is known from a single locality on the Riversdale Plain in South Africa.
Dais is a genus of flowering plants in the family Thymelaeaceae. It is also part of the Gnidia subfamily, along with Gnidia, Drapetes, Kelleria, Pimelea, Struthiola, Lachnaea and Passerina, other genera of species). It is distributed between Tanzania to S. Africa, Madagascar. It is native to the countries of Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and it is also found within several Provinces of South Africa, such as Cape Provinces, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Provinces.
Arctotis hirsuta is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to South Africa. It occurs in the provinces of the Northern Cape and Western Cape. Most typically found on sandy slopes and flats along the coast in the region between Elandsbaai to the Agulhas Plain. During the spring flower season it can flower in large numbers.
Serruria villosa, the golden spiderhead, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the genus Serruria and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape, where it occurs only on the Cape Peninsula and just south of Constantia. The shrub is erect and grows only 50 cm tall and bears flowers from April to July.
Paranomus sceptrum-gustavianus, the King Gustav's sceptre, is a flowering shrub that belongs to the genus Paranomus and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape, South Africa.
Paranomus dregei, the scented sceptre, is a flowering shrub belonging to the genus Paranomus. The plant is native to the Western Cape, South Africa.
Chrysocoma ciliata is a shrub that grows to a height of 60 cm. The plant occurs throughout South Africa with the exception of Limpopo and also in Lesotho, Mozambique, and Namibia. In the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape it occurs along with the fynbos on rocky slopes and rocky plains.