Edible : Rhizomes, Root, Leaves, Flowers,
An upright clumpy ginger family herb up to 0.4-1 m high. The rhizome is thick and yellow. The stems are stout. The leaves do not have a leaf stalk. Leaves are broadly sword shaped. The base is narrowed. They taper to the tip. The leaves are shorter and fatter than true ginger. They are 15-40 cm long by 3-8 cm wide. The flower cone is also longer and thinner than true ginger. The flower comes from the rhizome and is cone shaped and 6-15 cm long by 3.5-5 cm wide. The stalk is 10-30 cm long. The sheaths are scale like. The bracts are green when young and red when old. The fruit is a capsule which is 0.8-1.2 cm across. The seeds are black.
A tropical plant. It grows in tropical Asia. It occurs in coastal areas in the Philippines. It is most common in damp open forest. It suits seasonally moist and dry climates. It needs a fertile, organically-rich, well-drained soil. It grows in S China. It suits hardiness zones 8-12. In Yunnan.
Common names : Wild ginger, Pine cone ginger, Fragrant ginger, 'Avapui, Awapuhi, Bitter ginger, Drove, Hong qiu jiang, Karpooraharidra, Karrallamu, Kattinji, Katu, Kra tue, Lampoyang, Lampuyang pahit, Lempoyang, Lempuyang emprit, Lempuyang gajah, Lempuyang wangi, Linne-gyi, Martinique ginger, Narkachur, Phtu, Phtue, Phrilang dung, Poloi, Red pinecone, Shampoo ginger, Vorek hanso, Zerumbet ginger,
Synonyms :
Amomum silvestre Poir.;
Amomum zerumbet L.;
Cardamomum spurium (J. Koenig) Kuntze;
Zingiber amaricans Blume;
Zingiber aromaticum Valeton;
Zingiber spurium Koenig;
and several others