Sunday, March 25, 2007

The fan

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Strelitzia, a native of South Africa, is one of the most unusual and attractive members of the banana family. This popular South Florida plant bears a unique flower that resembles a brightly colored bird in flight, giving it the common name, Bird-of-Paradise. Two of the blue petals are joined together to form an arrow-like nectary. When the sunbirds sit to drink the nectar, the petals open to cover their feet in pollen. Pretty clever for a plant, don't you think?

"Came down the sky
To sit amidst the garden greens
Bird-of-Paradise"
*
Haiku by Meenakhsi Madhur

21 comments:

Kate said...

Beautiful flower and good photo, Isabella. There's not much that humans can produce that can equal nature, especially the beautiful objects. Perhaps a newborn baby would qualify, but that's about all to my mind.

Anonymous said...

What an unusual flower. And photo, excellent colour contrast, really catches your eye, even though it looks a dull day

~tanty~ said...

Unusual plant and beautiful photo as always :)

Anonymous said...

Magnificent flower! Beautiful colors!!

Irredento Urbanita said...

I know that flower, is really interesting, it has a futurist design and it's as antique as the time.

Good !!

Anonymous said...

Amazing. I just came from a blog that had the same flowers in all red. I have never seen them in person and I have you to thank for these.
720 Pixels

Anonymous said...

Great effect....but something about how different that flower is always gives me the creeps.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't concentrate too much on that flower, something could be creeping up behind you!
AAARRGHHH!
Haha, just foolin'

Kalyan Panja said...

Lovely flowers...Wonderfully captured shot!

angela said...

Such beautiful, vibrant colours. It's true they do seem other worldly.
Angela

Dsole said...

yes, i really like this flower it's a kind of magic uh?
It's very typical in Gran Canaria islands too

Nikon said...

Great shot - they seem to be amazingly colorful flowers :)

Anonymous said...

Nice work Isabella, great colour!

South Shields Daily Photo

kuanyin333 said...

This is one of the best shots I've ever seen of this flower. You're continually raising the bar for the rest of us with your great photos.

Tony Morris said...

Hi Isabella, great picture, I didn't know BoB Plant was a banana family member, I guess they look nicer than they taste though!

Olivier said...

tres belle photo et merci pour la Haïku, type de poesie que j'apprecie beaucoup


very beautiful photograph and thank you for Haïku, type of poetry which I appreciate much

Anonymous said...

Unbelievable. I've never seen one with so many colors!

Kala said...

hahah wow I did not know you even posted this before i made the previous comment!!! Sooooo colorful and kewl!

Monica said...

I have a picture almost identical! This flowers makes great photos so whenever I see one I can't help taking a picture of it!

Zannnie said...

so beautiful....

Dragon_rider said...

You must be verry lucky to live in such a beautifull place!! I'm stuck in Conneticuit!!