Alpinia purpurata

Alpinia purpurata

Alpinia purpurata is a species of the genus Alpinia in the ginger family ( Zingiberaceae ). It is used in tropical parks and gardens as an ornamental plant.

Description

Alpinia purpurata grows as a perennial herbaceous plant, reaching stature heights of 2 to 3 meters. The alternate arranged leaves are short-stalked. The glossy green, simple leaf blade is at a length of usually 30 to 70 ( to 80) cm and a width of 10 to 22 cm wide lanceolate.

The terminal, up to 30 cm long inflorescences usually wear red (sometimes pink or white in cultivated forms ), up to 3 cm long, ovate or broadly ovate bracts. In the axils of the bracts are per one to two, rarely up to five flowers on reddish bracts. The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic and threefold with a double perianth. The reddish calyx tube is usually 1.7 to 2 ( up to 2.7 ) cm long and bare. The crown is white. The white labellum has two lateral lobes and a central area which is three-lobed or almost entire, and about as long as the Corolla lobe. The stamens are 6-7 mm long. The ovary is 3 to 4 mm long and bare.

Alpinia purpurata forms a diameter of 2 to 3 cm, almost spherical capsule with edged fruit seeds having a diameter of 3 mm.

The propagation is done via the rhizomes, or the distribution of seeds.

Dissemination

This originally from Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Alpinia purpurata is now widespread in many tropical regions, such as Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Use

Alpinia purpurata is used as an ornamental plant. The inflorescences are traded as cut flowers, Hawaii exported in 2005 plants worth $ 680,000.