PARADISE - 6 reference results
paradise fish, brilliantly colored freshwater Asian fish, Macropodus opercularis, often kept in aquariums. The males reach a length of 3 in. (7.6 cm) and turn reddish with blue bars during mating season. Fantastic varieties with greatly extended and modified fins and tails have been developed. The round-tailed paradise fish Macropodus chinensis is a close relative. Paradise fish are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Perciformes, family Belontiidae.
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bird-of-paradise flower, large tropical herb (Strelitzia reginae) of the family Musaceae (banana family), native to S Africa. Its large blue and orange blossom resembles an exotic bird; it is cultivated as an ornamental in warmer regions and as a greenhouse plant, and is sold as a florists' cut flower. It is grown commercially chiefly in California and Hawaii. The bird-of-paradise is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Liliopsida, order Zingiberales, family Musaceae.
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Licensed from Columbia University Press
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bird of paradise, common name for any of 43 species of medium- to crow-sized passerine birds of New Guinea and the adjacent islands, known for the bright plumage, elongated tail feathers called wires, and brilliant ruffs of the males. Their common name is derived from 16th-century Spanish explorers, who believed them to be visitors from paradise. The standard-winged bird of paradise, Semioptera wallaceii, is brownish with a glimmering green gorget at the throat. At the end of the 19th cent. over 50,000 bird of paradise skins per year were exported; many species were almost wiped out. It is now illegal to import skins into the United States. The 13-in. (32.5-cm) twelve-wired bird of paradise, Seleucidis ignotus, is found in mangrove swamps, and has brilliant yellow plumes and an iridescent green and black throat, which are displayed to the female during courtship. The smallest member of the family is the scarlet king bird of paradise. It is only 6 in. (15 cm) long and has green plumes and blue legs. Many species are polygamous, and the drab-colored female assumes all the nesting duties. The biological basis for the elaborate coloration and displays seems to be the need for an accurate means of distinction and recognition between species, since hybridization is disadvantageous. Birds of paradise are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Passeriformes, family Paradisaeidae.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press
Licensed from Columbia University Press
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press
Licensed from Columbia University Press
Paradise, uninc. town (1990 pop. 25,406), Butte co., N central Calif., in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range. It is mainly residential with a growing population. Cattle are raised and fruits, olives, nuts, wheat, and nursery stock are grown. Gold was discovered nearby in 1859.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press
Licensed from Columbia University Press
or crane flower
Ornamental plant (Strelitzia reginae) of the family Strelitziaceae. All five species of the genus Strelitzia are native to southern Africa. The large, showy Strelitzia flower has two erect, pointed petals and five stamens. One main bract, shaped like a boat, is green with red borders. It holds many long-stemmed orange and bright blue flowers, each resembling the crest and beak of a crane, giving the plant its common names.
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