Shan jiang, Peppermint stick ginger
Alpinia japonica

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A ginger family herb. The false stem is 35-70 cm high. The leaf stalk is about 2 cm long. The leaf blade is sword shaped and 25-40 cm long by 4-7 cm wide. It is hairy especially underneath. It tapers to the tip. The flower racemes are 15-30 cm long. The flowers are usually paired along this stalk. The flowers are white with red marks. The fruit is a capsule which is red and round. It is 1-1.5 cm across. It is hairy. The seeds are 5 mm by 3 mm and with many angles.

It is used in medicine. There are about 200-230 Alpinia species. They are mostly tropical and subtropical.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in forests in S China. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Alpinia agiokuensis Hayata; Alpinia japonica var. kiushiana (Kitam.) Ohwi; Globba japonica Thunb.; Languas agiokuensis (Hayata) Sasaki; Languas japonica (Thunb.) Sasaki;