Helokolibrikukka – Strelitzia reginae

The leaves arise from an underground stem (rhizome), are arranged alternately in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown, are simple and up to 170 cm long; leaf blades are ovate to linear, 25–70 cm long and 10–30 cm, petiole up to 1 m long. The flowers stand above the foliage at the tips of long stalks. Flowers are subtended by a hard, ca. 20cm long beak-like bract (spathe) that is placed perpendicular to the stem. The bract makes a durable perch for holding the sunbirds which pollinate the flowers. The flowers (4-6), 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. Fruit is a 3-locular capsule that opens with three slits.The seeds are round, black to brown in colour with a yellow aril (a tuft of hairs).