Willem says: 'The Phyto-Philes are for plant lovers of every size and shape, colour and flavour. As with my Colours of Wildlife column, I'll be featuring one species per article, illustrated with sketches, paintings, and/or photos. Over time I hope to be showcasing the amazing diversity of weird and wonderful plants that occur in South Africa, while also from time to time looking at the flora of other countries. While featuring many spectacular species, I'll not be neglecting the smaller, more humble kinds that are nevertheless fascinating in their own right.'

The Bird-of-Paradise Flower, or Crane Flower, scientific name Strelitzia reginae, is certainly one of South Africa's most beautiful and recognizable flowers. It is now grown all over the warmer regions of the world, and some people might not realize that it is in fact originally South African! Indeed the genus Strelitzia is entirely restricted to Southern Africa, the species Strelitzia caudata occurring as far north as eastern Zimbabwe. The species we're looking at today is native to coastal scrub and thicket or rocky grassland from the Eastern Cape to Kwazulu-Natal. It is a fairly low growing and tough shrub, under exceptional circumstances reaching 2m/about 7' in height. It is named after queen Charlotte, wife of George III, of the house of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (the species name 'reginae' means 'of the queen').

The most striking feature of this plant is of course its remarkable 'flower'. Just like with the Arum Lilies in this species what we call a 'flower' is actually a more complex structure. This structure resembles the head of a bird, which also gives it its alternative name of Crane Flower. The bluish-green through purplish to reddish 'head and beak' of the crane is formed by a tough sheathing leaf called a spathe just as in the arum lily. This spathe has a slit on the upper surface from which a succession of flowers emerge, forming the 'crown' of the crane. These actual flowers have two constituents: the larger orange sepals at the rear, and a pointed, deep purple structure which is formed by the petals at the front. The flowers emerge from the front of the spathe and then flex backwards as new flowers emerge in front of them; in time the rearmost, old flowers turn brown and eventually fall off. In suitable climates these plants will keep flowering for most of the year, making it a very rewarding garden specimen.

The growth form of this plant can be seen in this photo of a non-flowering clump in my garden (if you look closely you can spot a second plant in a clay pot near the upper lefthand corner). It consists mainly of leaves arranged vertically on tough, tall, fibrous petioles. The leaf blades are somewhat elliptical to spearhead-shaped and 'cupped' with the margins turned upwards. The margins are sometimes reddish or pinkish. Below the ground is a tough rootstock from which the leaves arise; in this species there is no above ground stem or 'trunk'. The clumps naturally enlarge and spread outward, reaching a diameter of 2m/7' or so.

The Strelitzia family, like the Arum and Orchid families I've already mentioned, belongs to the monocotyledonous plants, the flowering plants with typically just one seed leaf. It resembles the Arum lilies not just in having a spathe around the flowers but also in having a broad leaf blade with veins spreading outward from the petiole. These leaves are atypical for monocots, most others having simple long leaves with veins parallel to the margins and the central leaf vein. The Strelitzia family occurs in South Africa, with five recognized species of Strelitzia, the so-called Traveller's palm, Ravenala madagascariensis, in Madagascar and the species Phenakospermum guianense in the Amazon Rainforest. It is therefore a quite small family as plants go, but individually they include some of the largest monocots, the Traveller's Palm as well as the Natal and Mountain Strelitzias reaching tree size. Though palm-like they are actually most closely related to bananas. Another related family, also with weird and striking flowers, are the Heliconias of the tropical Americas. These are often visited by hummingbirds.

Strelitzia flowers indeed also attract birds, but in this case sunbirds and other nectar lovers including weavers and white-eyes. These perch on the stout spathe rather than hovering in front of the flower as hummingbirds do. Bees also visit the flowers. We still don't know if or how birds are involved in pollinating these flowers as apparently they prefer to drink the nectar without collecting the pollen. The pollen is contained in a groove in the middle of the purple petal structure. To release it the bird must land on the sharp tip of this structure; this will force the petals outward and open the groove to smear the pollen on the bird's belly or feet. But birds rarely do this, they rather perch on the spathe and drink from the base of the flower, avoiding the sticky, stringy pollen! Thus these plants rarely set seeds in the wild. But I do notice that mine does produce seed so they must get pollinated somehow. It is thought that the plant might actually be adapted to be pollinated by a kind of lizard, a gecko maybe. These natural pollinators might have died out, but birds and other things drinking the nectar might still inadvertently end up getting and distributing some of the pollen.

If flowers are pollinated they will form fruit; the petals turn dry and fall off but the ovary at their base enlarges into a woody capsule that splits open to release the seeds. The seeds are hard and dark brown or blackish, but there is a tuft of orange 'fur' on them. Here you can see a few seeds from one of my own plants. This furry tuft, called an aril, is nutritious and attracts birds to eat the seeds; the hard shell protects the embryo while the bird digests the orange aril, and when they excrete the seed it is ready to germinate.

If you can find any seeds, remove the arils, plant them in a well-draining and fairly rich mixture at the start of spring, keep moist but not wet, and warm as well, and they will germinate reliably. The young plants need warmth to grow and regular but not excessive water. Initially light shade is best; adult plants can survive in full sun to moderate shade, flowering best when they get some direct sun. The plants can also be multiplied by dividing large clumps. Crane flowers are best suited to large beds, where the clumps can spread and give a mass display. But they can also be kept in smaller confines, adapting well to large pots and containers. They will grow indoors in sunny positions. They can tolerate light frosts but in colder climates should be placed in the warmest possible spots such as against north-facing walls. These plants are fairly slow growing but tough and long-living. They can survive moderate periods of drought.

A traditional remedy is made from the flowers to treat swollen glands and venereal disease; in some regions the seeds are used to curdle milk. Apart from that the use of this species is mainly decorative. The flowerheads are often used in flower arrangements, and the tough leaves as well. A cultivar with yellow sepals called 'Mandela's Gold' has been popular lately.

Colours of Wildlife Archive

Willem

01.04.13 Front Page

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