Strelitzia (strelitsia)

[NL. (Aiton, 1789), named after Queen Charlotte, wife of George III. of England, and descended from the German house of Mecklenburg- Strelitz.] 1. A genus of monocotyledonous plants, of the order Musaceæ, distinguished by its flowers with three free sepals and three very di imilar and peculiar petals, of which the outer is short, broad, and concave or hooded, the two lateral long, narrow, more or le united, and continued into a long petaloid appendage. 4 or 5 na bees of outrage The here singular species rod a cing an erect or subterranean woody rootstock, and large leaves which resemble those of a small banana-tree, or are reduced mainly or completely to tall erect cylindrical petioles. The large handsome flowers are borne few together far exserted from a spathe, which consists of one or two large boat-shaped bracts on a terminal or axillary scape. S. Reginæ, known as queen - plant, bird's - tongue flow er, or bird - of - paradise flower, produces large brilliant flowers, highly prized for the oddity of their shape and coloring, showing the unusual combination of orange and blue. S. august a, a larger species with small white flowers and purple bracts, has a palm-like stem reaching 20 feet in height, and is cultivated under the name grand strelitzia. S. jun cea and other species are also cultivated under gla . 2. [l. c.] A plant of this genus.