闭鞘姜 Hellenia speciosa

  • Scientific Name: Hellenia speciosa (J.Koenig) S.R.Dutta
  • Ref: Pleione 7:228. 2013
  • Synonyms: Banksea speciosa J.Koenig; Cheilocostus speciosus (J.Koenig) C.D.Specht; Costus speciosus (J.Koenig) Sm.; C. formosanus Nakai
  • English Common Name: crêpe ginger
  • Chinese Common Name: 闭鞘姜 bìqiào∙jiāng
  • Japanese Common Name: オオホザキアヤメ [大穂咲き菖蒲] ōhozakiayame
  • Family: Costaceae
  • Genus: Hellenia
  • Distribution: Forest margins, moist places in valleys, roadsides; near sea level to 1700 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Taiwan, Yunnan [Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Australia].
  • Photo: 06/21/2009, South China Botanical Garden, Guangdong
Stems 1--3 m, base slightly woody, apex branched and spirally twisted when old. Petiole 5--7 mm; leaf blade oblong or lanceolate, 15--20 × 6--10 cm, abaxially densely sericeous, base subrounded, apex acuminate or caudate-acuminate. Inflorescences terminal, ellipsoid or ovoid, 5--15 cm; bracts bright red, ovate, ca. 2 cm, leathery, pubescent, apex sharply pointed; bracteoles pale red, 1.2--1.5 cm. Calyx red, 1.8--2 cm, leathery, apex 3-lobed; lobes reddish black, rigid, and densely sericeous at apex. Corolla tube ca. 1 cm; lobes oblong-elliptic, ca. 5 cm, apex white or red. Labellum white, trumpet-shaped, 6.5--9 cm, apex toothed and crisped, with edges overlapping. Stamen petaloid, white with orange-yellow base, urceolate, ca. 4.5 × 1.3 cm, pubescent. Capsule red, globose, ca. 1.5 cm, slightly woody. Seeds black, glossy, ca. 3 mm. Fl. Jul--Sep, fr. Sep--Nov. 2 n = 18, 27*, 36. (Flora of China)

06/21/2009, South China Botanical Garden

06/21/2009, South China Botanical Garden

 

Leave a comment