Torch ginger

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Torch ginger
Colpfl06.jpg

Torch ginger ( Etlingera elatior )

Systematics
Monocots
Order : Gingery (Zingiberales)
Family : Ginger family (Zingiberaceae)
Subfamily : Alpinioideae
Genre : Etlingera
Type : Torch ginger
Scientific name
Etlingera elatior
( Jack ) RMSm

The torch ginger ( Etlingera elatior ), also known as ginger flower, red ginger lily, torch lily, wild ginger or Philippine wax flower, is a species of plant from the genus Etlingera within the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). It is grown and used in many ways.

description

Illustration from Curtis's botanical magazine ... , London, 1832, volume 59, plate 3192
Inflorescence from the side
Illustration: Chromolithography by P. Depannemaeker, around 1885
Inflorescence from above
Fruit cluster

Vegetative characteristics

The torch ginger grows as an evergreen, perennial herbaceous plant and reaches heights of usually 4 to 5, rarely up to 6 meters. It forms dense clumps from creeping, thick rhizomes as persistence organs . Usually robust “pseudostems” are formed from mostly many leaves.

The large leaves are divided into leaf sheath, petiole and leaf blade. The leaf sheath is relatively long. The bare leaf scales (ligules) are bilobed and 0.8 to 2 centimeters long. The petiole is 1 to, usually 3 to 4 inches long. The simple, bald leaf blade is lanceolate or broadly elliptical with a length of up to 80 or 90 centimeters and a width of up to 18 or 20 centimeters.

Generative characteristics

The strong, leafless inflorescence stem rises with a length of 0.8 to 1, rarely up to 1.5 meters above the ground. This flowering stem axis flowers only once and wilts after seed formation (monocarpic). The terminal inflorescence is surrounded by red, bare involucral leaves that are 2 to 3 inches long and about 3 inches wide and taper towards the top. The bracts are similar to involucre but are pink and smaller. The bracts are fused with a length of 1.5 to 2 centimeters and deeply split on one side.

The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic and threefold with a length of 4 to 5 centimeters . The three sepals are 3 to 4 inches long and fused tubular; the calyx tube ends in three calyx teeth. The three petals are fused Roehrig. The corolla is pink to red, sometimes white. The labellum is deep red with a yellow border. Only the middle stamen of the inner circle is fertile. The dust bag has no appendages. All other of the originally six stamens are transformed into staminodes or are missing. The short, flat stamen is hairy whitish and downy. The red dust bag, which is bent forward, is longer than the stamina.

With a diameter of 2 to 3 centimeters, the fruit is greenish, yellowish or reddish when ripe and contains many seeds. The seed is black.

Occurrence

The original distribution area of Etlingera elatior is southern Thailand , Indonesia and western Malaysia .

It is feral in many areas in China and Southeast Asia and is a naturalized neophyte . Due to its rapid growth, Etlingera elatior is considered an invasive plant species in many tropical areas .

Etlingera elatior thrives best in forests, but it is also highly competitive in many other locations.

Taxonomy

The first description of Alpinia elatior Jack was in 1822 by William Jack in Malayan Miscellanies , Volume 2, Number 7, Pages 2-4. The new combination to Etlingera elatior (Jack) RMSm. was published in 1986 by Rosemary Margaret Smith in Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh , Volume 43, Number 2, pages 244-245. The specific epithet elatior is derived from the Latin word elatus for "high". More synonyms for Etlingera elatior (Jack) RMSm. are: Achasma yunnanensis T.L. Wu & SJChen , Alpinia acrostachya Steud. , Alpinia diracodes Loes. nom. illeg., Alpinia javanica (flower) D.Dietr. nom. illeg., Alpinia magnifica Roscoe , Alpinia speciosa (flower) D.Dietr. , Amomum magnificum (Roscoe) Benth. & Hook. f. ex BDJacks. , Amomum tridentatum (Kuntze) K.Schum. , Bojeria magnifica (Roscoe) Raf. , Cardamomum magnificum (Roscoe) Kuntze , Cardamomum speciosum (Blume) Kuntze , Cardamomum tridentatum Kuntze , Diracodes javanica flower , Elettaria speciosa flower , Geanthus speciosus Reinw. ex flower nom. nud., Hornstedtia imperialis (Lindl.) Ridl. , Nicolaia elatior (Jack) Horan. , Nicolaia imperialis Horan. , Nicolaia intermedia Valeton , Nicolaia magnifica (Roscoe) K.Schum. ex Valeton , Nicolaia speciosa (Blume) Horan. , Phaeomeria imperialis Lindl. , Phaeomeria magnifica (Roscoe) K.Schum. , Phaeomeria speciosa (flower) coord. , Etlingera elatior var. Alba Todam & CKLim , Etlingera elatior var. Pileng Ongsakul & CKLim .

Use as a cut flower
Harvested budding inflorescences

use

Etlingera elatior is cultivated as an ornamental plant especially in Southeast Asia, Australia and Hawaii. It is used in USDA Climate Zones 10 through 12 in tropical parks and gardens. In the temperate areas it is grown in large show greenhouses. The showy pink inflorescences are used as cut flowers in decorative arrangements .

The medicinal effects of Etlingera elatior have been studied. The phytochemistry of the leaves, inflorescences and rhizomes was examined. Antioxidant, antibacterial , antifungal , cytotoxic, tyrosinase inhibitory, and hepatoprotective effects are discussed.

Etlingera elatior is used as a food and spice . The budding inflorescences and semi-ripe fruit bunches are used locally as a substitute (substitute) for tamarind as a spice in curry. The leaves are cooked with rice. The inflorescence stems of budding inflorescences are crushed and added to laksa , curry or soups with rice noodles. The fruits are candied. Half-ripe fruits are eaten in soups and stews. Ripe seeds are eaten raw.

The budding inflorescences are an important ingredient in the nonya dish laksa . In North Sumatra (especially in the Karo tribe) the budding inflorescences are used for a steamed fish called arsik ikan mas ( Szechuan pepper- spiced carp). In Bali , people use the white part of the lower stem to cook the sambal bongkot chilli sauce and they use the budding inflorescences to make the sambal kecicang chilli sauce.

The pseudo-trunks are processed into mats. Very fine fibers are extracted from the leaves.

Common names

Trivial names in other languages ​​are:

  • English: torch ginger, wax flower
  • Spanish: boca de dragón
  • Chinese: 火炬 姜 huo ju jiang
  • Hawaiian: 'awapuhi ko'oko'o
  • Marquesan: eka, opuhi, pua vao
  • Tahitian: 'awapuhi, opuhi
  • Malay: kantan

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Delin Wu, Kai Larsen: Zingiberaceae. : Etlingera elatior , p. 357 - online with the same text as the printed work , In: Wu Zheng-yi, Peter H. Raven (Ed.): Flora of China. Volume 24: Flagellariaceae through Marantaceae , Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing and St. Louis, 2000, ISBN 0-915279-83-5 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Eric WC Chan, YY Lim, SK Wong: Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Properties of Etlingera elatior: A Review. In: Pharmacognosy Journal , Volume 3, Issue 22, 2011, pp. 6-10. doi : 10.5530 / pj.2011.22.2 full text PDF.
  3. ↑ a b c d e Etlingera elatior at Tropicos.org. In: 66 . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
  4. ↑ a b c d data sheet at Plant Finder of the Missouri Botanical Garden .
  5. ↑ a b Rafaël Govaerts (ed.): Etlingera elatior. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  6. ^ A b Etlingera elatior in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  7. ^ A b Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk = PIER .
  8. ↑ Data sheet at CABI - Invasive Species Compendium .
  9. ↑ Etlingera elatior at Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  10. ↑ Enter Etlingera elatior in the search mask at the Zingiberaceae resource center (with a link to the original literature).
  11. ↑ Gordon Cheers (Ed.): Botanica. The ABC of plants. 10,000 species in text and images . Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft, 2003, ISBN 3-8331-1600-5 (therein page 350).
  12. ↑ a b c d e f g data sheet at TheFerns - Useful Tropical Plants .
  13. ↑ a b c TK Lim: Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants: Volume 8, Flowers . Springer Science & Business, 2014, ISBN 978-94-017-8748-2 , pp. 835–843 ( Etlingera elatior on pp. 835–843 in the Google book search).
  14. ↑ data sheet at Philippine Medicinal Plants .

Web links

Commons : Torch Ginger ( Etlingera elatior )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

further reading

  • Askal Maimulyanti, Anton Restu Prihadi: Chemical composition, phytochemical and antioxidant activity from extract of Etlingera elatior flower from Indonesia. In: Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry , Volume 3, Issue 6, 2015, pp. 233-238. Full text PDF.