Boesenbergia longiflora

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A herb. It grows 50-60 cm tall. The roots are robust. The leaves are oval and 8-12 cm long by 5-9 cm wide. The base is heart shaped and the has a short point. The flowers are on separate shoots coming from the rhizome. There are 3-6 flowers and they are bluish purple.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in forests in mountains between 1,100-1,900 m above sea level in southern China. In XTBG Yunnan. In Calicut Uni BG.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, India, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Thailand

How it is used for food

The leaf stalk is boiled and eaten.

Edible parts

Leaf stalk, flowers

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Ai-thur, Lochet

Synonyms

Alpinia hamiltoniana Wall. [Invalid]; Boesenbergia fallax Loes.; Curcurmorpha longiflora (Wall.) A. S. Rao & D. M. Verma; Gastrochilus jenkinsii Wall. ex Voigt.; Gastrochilus longiflorus Wall.; Kaempferia fallax Lingelsh. & Borza [Illegitimate];