Louisiana State Flower and State Bird
Brown Pelican ~ Pelecanus occidentalis
On the ground, the Pelican wins no beauty contest. But once he is airborne, even his ponderous bill cannot mar the inexpressible dignity of his powerful, sweeping wing-beats. When fishing, they may dive from as high as sixty or seventy feet. They spot their prey and abruptly tip forward and fall with half-closed wings to strike deep into the sea, seize a fish, and then take off into the wind.
Magnolia ~ Magnolia grandiflora
Towering ninety feet into the air after 75 to 100 years in the garden, and spreading to half that distance if not crowded, the southern Magnolia is truly a stately tree. Its gleaming dark green leaves, with undersides coated with a tan suede-like covering, serve as foils for some of the largest and most fragrant white blossoms found on any tree. Ordinary seedling trees of the species may take fifteen years to blossom and then bear flowers eight inches across. The flowers bloom abundantly in spring and summer, and occasions blossoms appear the rest of the year if night temperatures stay above forty degrees. Magnolias are practically pest-free and are used as shade and street trees.
From The Wildflowers of the 50 States U.S. stamps issued July 24, 1992:
Louisiana Wildflower - Standing Cypress
Art from the 50-stamp series, State Birds and Flowers,
issued April 14, 1982 simultaneously in all state capitals.
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