Edible Parts: Leaves - flavoring.
Description: A ginger family herb. It is upright and keeps growing from year to year. The stems are leafy and cane-like. It grows 1-5 m tall. It has spreading underground stems or rhizomes. These cause the plant to form thick clusters. The flower arrangement is at the top of the stems and is 25 cm long. The flowers have bright red bracts. The actual flowers are small and white on top of these bracts. The fruit is round capsules. These split open when the seeds are ripe.
Distribution: It is a tropical plant. It is best with part shade and moist conditions. It cannot tolerate frost. It does well in rich, wet soils. It needs acid soil with pH between 6.0-6.8. In Townsville Queens BG.
Alpinia grandis K. Schum.
Alpinia purpurata var. albobracteata K. Schum.
Alpinia purpurata var. anomala Gagnep.
Alpinia purpurata var. grandis (K. Schum.) K. Schum.
Guillainia novo-ebudica F. Muell.
Guillainia purpurata Vieill.
Languas purpurata (Vieill.) Kaneh.