Colours In Bloom

Strelitziaceae is a family of flowering plants that are very similar in appearance and growth habit to members of the related family Heliconiaceae. Vanuatu Post has chosen Strelitzia reginae (Bird of Paradise) to join three Heliconias - Heliconia psittacorum, Heliconia rostrata and Heliconia caribaea var. in this colourful stamp issue.

All members of both families have been described as “bold, flashy, attention-seeking and commanding attention”. Blooms can take the form of stiff and upright lobster claws, or hanging spirals of colourful bracts. A vast range of flower forms and vibrant colours are the main reason why they form the centrepiece of so many tropical landscapes all around the world, especially Vanuatu. Both families combined, consist of a few hundred species of flowering plants native to the tropical Americas and the islands of the Pacific, west to Indonesia and in the case of Strelitzia, South Africa. Growing in warm temperatures, rich, humus soil with plenty of water, plants can range from 15 cm in height to more than 6M tall, depending on species. They rapidly occupy any available area through adventurous underground stems.

Colours in BloomThey are herbaceous or non-woody plants, with a 'pseudostem' made up of overlapping leaf petiole sheaths that offer the leaves and flowers mechanical support. Each stem can only flower once, after which the entire stem deteriorates. Their flowers are produced as long, erect or drooping, branched clusters, and consist of brightly coloured waxy bracts, with small flowers peeping out.

In their natural habitat, the plants typically occupy clearings on the forest floor in humid tropical rainforests, especially in places where sunlight can penetrate through the leaf canopy, and also along river banks. The growth habit of the Bird of Paradise and the Heliconias is similar to gingers, travellers palms and bananas, to which they are both related.

While the large number of species has been identified over a wide area, a small group of about 6 species has evolved separately in the South Pacific, possibly through pollination by bats. These are typically characterised by having green flower clusters. It is the vibrancy of the splendid blooms which are found all over Vanuatu that are the focus of this issue however and their colours stand out, both in the Port Vila market and in other markets and gardens throughout the islands.