Strelitziaceae
Strelitziaceae Hutch., Fam. Fl. Pl., Monocot. 72. 1934. nom. cons. 'Bird-of-paradise Family'
Salient Features
Members are perennial herbs or trees.
Leaves distichous, large, sheathing, petiolate, simple, entire (tearing with winds), penni-paralle-veined.
Inflorescence a terminal or axillary thyrse of 1- many monochasial cymes, each cyme subtended by large spathaceous bract.
Flowers zygomorphic, bisexual, perianth 3+3, united.
Stamens 5 or 6, free.
Gynoecium of 3 united carpesl, ovary trilocular, with many ovules in each locule arranged on axile placenta.
Fruit a loculicidal woody capsule, seeds with fimbriate arils.
Diversity:
World- 3 genera, 7 species (The Plant List 2013; Christenhusz & Byng 2016); 3 genera, 6-7 species (Mabberley 2017); 3 genera, 8 species (Roskov et al. 2021)
India - ?
Uttarakhand - ?
General Characters:
Strelitziaceae in Watson & Dallwitz (1992 onwards)
Strelitziaceae in POWO 2021 (Plants of the World Online)
Strelitziaceae in Wikipedia
Systematic Position of Family in Different Systems of Classifications:
Systematic position in 2-Superkingdom, 7-Kingdom classification of Ruggiero et al. (2015)
Super Kingdom- Eukaryota, Kingdom- Plantae, Subkingdom- Viridiplantae, Infrakingdom- Streptophyta, Superphylum- Embryophyta, Phylum- Tracheophyta, Subphylum- Spermatophytina, Superclass- Angiospermae, Class- Magnoliopsida, Superorder- Lilianae, Order- Zingiberales
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83)
Class : Monocotyledons
Series : Epigynae
(Included in Scitamineae)
Engler & Prantl (1887-1915)
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Embryophyta Siphonogama
Subdivision : Angiospermae
Class : Monocotyledoneae
Order : Scitamineae
(Included in Musaceae)
Hutchinson (1973)
Phylum : Angiospermae
Subphylum : Monocotyledones
Division : Calyciferae
Order : Zingiberales
Cronquist (1988)
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Liliopsida
Subclass : Zingiberidae
Order : Zingiberales
Thorne & Reveal (2007)
Class : Magnoliopsida
Subclass : Commelinidae
Super Order: Commelinanae
Order : Cannales
Suborder : Strelitziineae
Takhtajan (2009)
Phylum : Magnoliophyta
Class : Lilliopsida
Subclass : Commelinidae
Super Order : Zingiberanae
Order : Zingiberales
Reveal (2012)
Class : Equisetopsida
Subclass : Magnoliidae
Super Order : Lilianae
Order : Cannales
Suborder : Strelitziineae
APG-IV (2016)
Clade : Angiosperms
Clade : Monocots
Clade : Commelinids
Order : Zingiberales
Shipunov (2020)
Class : Angiospermae
Subclass : Liliidae
Order : Zingiberales
Suborder : Zingiberineae
(Merged with Cannaceae)
Genera & Species in Pantnagar
To see larger images please click on the names
***Cultivated Flora***
Ravenala madagascariensis Sonn.
Vernacular name: Traveler's Palm, Traveler Banana, Fan Plantain (English); Panthapadap (Hindi)
Nativity: Madagascar (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Palm-like small tree. Trunk hard, with distinct leaf scars. Leaves, with long stalk and gives fan like appearance.
Flowering period: July to October
Propagation Methods: Multiplied by dividing rhizomes and by seeds (Dave’s Garden)
Photographed @ ATIC
Strelitzia reginae Banks.
Vernacular name: Crane Flower, Bird of Paradise, Strelitzia
Nativity: South Africa (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Perennial herb, stem underground. Leaves arise from rhizome, with long stalk and broad leaf blade. Flower emerging from the boat shaped bract.
Flowering period: October to March
Propagation Methods: Multiplied by dividing rhizomes (Dave’s Garden)
Photographed @ Garden Section