Flora of North America species comparison

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Alpinia zerumbet

shellflower, shellplant
Leaf

blade lanceolate to narrowly elliptical, (20–)33–67 × (3–)7.5–11 cm.
Inflorescences

drooping, 15–30 × 6–10 cm;

stalks of cincinni 0.3–3 cm, bracteoles sheathing, white proximally, pink distally.
Flowers

lip yellow with red penciling, perianth and staminodes otherwise white or pink.

Alpinia zerumbet
Phenology Flowering spring–summer (May–Sep).
Habitat Disturbed hammocks and thickets
Elevation 0–30 m [0–100 ft]
Distribution
map from FNA
FL; Central America; South America; native; Asia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Alpinia zerumbet is commonly cultivated, but rarely escapes. The illegitimate name Alpinia speciosa (J. C. Wendland) K. Schumann and Hollrung 1887 [(not A. speciosa (Blume) D. Dietrich 1839]) has often been used for this species.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Parent taxa Zingiberaceae > Alpinia
Synonyms Costus zerumbet, Languas speciosum, Zerumbet speciosum
Name authority (Persoon) B. L. Burtt & R. M. Smith: Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh 31: 204. (1972)
Source FNA vol. 22. Treatment author: Alan T. Whittemore.
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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