Alpinia novae-pommeraniae
Family: Zingiberaceae
What it is like
A ginger family plant which has a yellow sweet smelling rhizome or underground stem. The leaves are long and narrow like a sword, with a long tapering point. They are ranked in opposite pairs of leaflets along the stem. The leaves are 40 to 75 cm long and 8 to 16 cm wide. The edges of the leaves are smooth without teeth although they are slightly wavy. The top of the leaf surfaces are smooth and without hairs but under the leaf there are some fine hairs. The leaf stalk has a channel along its 8 to 15 cm length on the upper side. The flower occurs at the end of the leaf stalk and is stalked. The petals are yellow on the edges, then a brown stripe before becoming dark red in the middle. The seed capsule is round and 2 to 3 cm across. At an early stage the seed capsule has small hairs but later becomes smooth and orange or red.
There are about 200-230 Alpinia species. They are mostly tropical and subtropical. It is used as medicine.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in undisturbed primary forest. It can easily be transplanted or grown.
Countries/locations it is found in
New Caledonia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu
How it is used for food
Although the rhizome has a sweet smell it is unsure if it is used for flavouring.
Edible parts
?
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Libadumala