Walang
Etlingera walang

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A ginger family herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 1.5-2 m tall. The rhizomes are slender. The leaves are arranged in two upright rows. The leaf stalk is 1 cm long. The leaf blade is sword shaped and 30-50 cm long by 5-6 cm wide. It flowering head is like a cylinder. It is 5-7 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. The fruit stalk is underground and 8 cm long. It is covered with scales 5 cm long. The bracts are narrowly sword shaped. They are 8 cm long by 1 cm wide. The inner bracts are smaller.

There are about 70 Etlingera species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows up to 1,200 m above sea level. It occurs in Java.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Indonesia (country/location of origin), SE Asia

How it is used for food

The leaves are used as a flavouring.

Edible parts

Leaves, spice

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Achasma walang (Blume) Valeton; Alpinia walang (Blume) D. Dietr.; Amomum glaberrimum (Zoll. & Moritzi) Benth. & Hook. f. ex B. D. Jacks; Amomum walang (Blume) Kuntze; Cardamomum glaberrimum (Zoll. & Moritzi) Kuntze; Cardamomum walang (Blume) Kuntze; Donacodes walang Blume; Elettaria glaberrima Zoll. & Moritzi; Elettaria walang (Blume) Miq.; Hornstedtia walang (Blume) Koord.-Schum.;