Yellow galangal, Yellow shell ginger
Alpinia vitellina

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A ginger family herb. It grows 1.5 m tall. The false stem is fragrant. The leaves are sword shaped to oblong and 30 cm long by 15 cm wide. They taper to the tip. The leaves are hairy underneath. The flowering shoot is erect and up to 35 cm long. They have green bracts. The flowers are tube shaped and yellow with orange veins. They are 5 cm across. The fruit is an oblong capsule that is hairy. It has 2-3 seeds.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in dense secondary forests up to 1,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

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

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Spice

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds or division of the rhizome.

Its other names

Local names

Alpinia vitellina, Puar minyak

Synonyms

Alpinia wrayi King ex Baker; Amomum vitellinum Lindl.; Cardamomum vitellinum (Lindl.) Kuntze; Cenolophon vitellinum (Lindl.) Horan.; Languas vitellina (Lindl.) Alston;