Cumpia, Combia
Renealmia alpinia

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A robust ginger family plant. It keeps growing from year to year. It has a creeping rhizome. The leaves are 90 cm long. The flowers have white, pink or red bracts around them. The fruit are red capsules which mature to black. The seeds are brownish. There are orange yellow fibres and a fatty substance around the seeds. This is used to colour food and flavour rice.

There are 70-75 Renealmia species. There are 55 in tropical America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Andes, Australia, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guianas, Guyana, Honduras, Leeward Is., Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, South America, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, West Indies

How it is used for food

The fatty substance around the seeds is used to colour food and flavour rice. They are also eaten fresh or mixed with beans. The leaves are used to wrap food.

It is sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Fruit fibres - flavouring, seeds, leaves, spice, oil

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed or by division.

Its other names

Local names

Assafroa, Big warakaba food, Ciruelo, Gua, Ink bush, Jenjibre-de-jardin, Konosa, Koruati, Kumpia, Matandrea, Mishquipanga, Mowo, Murushi, Murusi, Sarandango, Ucuisi, Urki shuwanku, Xquijit

Synonyms

Alpinia bicalyculata Sesse & Moc.; Alpinia exaltata (L. f.) Roem. & Schult.; Alpinia macrantha Poepp. & Endl.; Alpinia pacoseroca Jacq.; Alpinia renealmia Lam.; Alpinia tubulata Ker Gawl; Amomum alpinia Rottb.; Amomum renealmia Lam. Amomum repens Lam.; Ethanium bracteosum (Griseb.) Kuntze; Ethanium exaltatum (L.f.) Kuntze; Renealmia exaltata L. f.; and others