Tepus bener
Etlingera punicea

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A robust ginger family herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 7 m tall. It has slender underground stems or rhizomes. The leaves are sword shaped and almost without a stalk. The leaves are 108 cm long by 1 cm wide. The fruiting bodies are round and 12 cm across. They grow near the ground. The fruit are angular and 2-5 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. They have 9-14 ribs.

There are about 70 Etlingera species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in primary and secondary forests often along water. They grow between 800-1,600 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Indochina, Indonesia (country/location of origin), Malaysia, Myanmar, SE Asia, Thailand

How it is used for food

The fleshy layer around the seeds is sweet and edible.

Edible parts

Fruit, flavouring

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Baku tubu, Baku ucat, Chalong, Kecala, Lelama, Rongod, Tubu

Synonyms

Achasma puniceum (Roxb.) Loes.; Alpinia punicea Roxb.; Elettaria punicea (Roxb.) Schult.; Gethyra punicea (Roxb.) Sweet [Invalid]; Hornstedtia punicea (Roxb.) K. Schum.;