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Alpinia officinarum Hance

Lesser galangal (en), Petit galanga (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Zingiberales > Zingiberaceae > Alpinia

Characteristics

Rhizomes elongate, terete. Pseudostems 40--110 cm. Leaves sessile; ligule lanceolate, entire, 2--3(--5) cm, membranous; leaf blade linear, 20--30 × 1.2--2.5 cm, glabrous, base attenuate, apex caudate. Racemes erect, 6--10 cm; rachis tomentose; bracteoles very small, less than 1 cm. Pedicel 1--2 mm. Calyx 8--10 cm, puberulent, apex 3-toothed. Corolla tube slightly shorter than calyx; lobes oblong, ca. 1.5 cm, central one hoodlike. Labellum white with red streaks, ovate, ca. 2 cm. Filament ca. 1 cm; anther ca. 6 mm. Ovary tomentose. Capsule red, globose, ca. 1 cm in diam. Fl. Apr--Sep, fr. May--Nov. 2 n = 48*.
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A herb. The false stem 1-1.5 m tall. The rhizome is elongated. The leaves do not have stalks. The leaf blade in narrow and 20-30 cm long by 1.2-2.5 cm wide. The flower stalk is erect and 6-10 cm long. The flowers are borne singly. They are white with a red veined lip. The fruit is a capsule which is red and round. It is about 1 cm across.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.75 - 1.1
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) 1.5
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

A tropical plant. It grows in S China. In XTBG Yunnan.
More
Grasslands and thickets.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-11

Usage

The rhizome is used to flavour food. It is used in curry powder blends. It has a flavour like a mixture of pepper and ginger. The leaves are also eaten.
Uses food material medicinal oil seasoning
Edible fruits leaves rhizomes roots
Therapeutic use Anti-bacterial agents (rhizome), Antifungal agents (rhizome), Anti-infective agents (rhizome), Antinematodal agents (rhizome), Appetite stimulants (rhizome), Diuretics (rhizome), Flatulence (rhizome), Gastrointestinal diseases (rhizome), General tonic for rejuvenation (rhizome), Dental caries (stem), Periodontal diseases (stem), Schistosomiasis (stem), Skin neoplasms (stem), Ague (unspecified), Aphrodisiac (unspecified), Bactericide (unspecified), Candida (unspecified), Carminative (unspecified), Chill (unspecified), Cholera (unspecified), Cough (unspecified), Diabetes (unspecified), Dyspepsia (unspecified), Enteritis (unspecified), Fungicide (unspecified), Gastralgia (unspecified), Halitosis (unspecified), Liqueur (unspecified), Malaria (unspecified), Nervine (unspecified), Pyrosis (unspecified), Sialogogue (unspecified), Stimulant (unspecified), Stomachic (unspecified), Throat (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Toothache (unspecified), Cancer (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Flatulence (unspecified), Cholinergic antagonists (whole plant)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) 30 - 90
Germination temperacture (C°) 21 - 23
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) 19 - 27
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Alpinia officinarum unspecified picture

Distribution

Alpinia officinarum world distribution map, present in China, Myanmar, and Viet Nam

Identifiers

LSID -
WFO ID wfo-0000338655
COL ID 65YCP
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Alpinia officinarum Languas officinarum
WorldFloraDB 2024