Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.)B.L.Burtt & R.M.Sm.

SHELLFLOWER; SHELL GINGER

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The name Alpinia nutans (L.) Roscoe is widely misapplied to A. zerumbet. Alpinia nutans (endemic to the Maluku Islands) has large, primary red bracts (eventually deciduous or drying) along the central rachis which subtend the lateral, densely bracteolate (8-20 bracteoles), spike-like cincinni with red-lipped flowers (type here: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/10356#page/208/mode/1up, errantly cited as "t. 12, 13" by Linnaeus; see also Smith 1975: https://archive.org/details/notes-from-royal-botanic-garden-edinburgh-34-002-149-182/page/156/mode/2up; see also Andriyani 2010: https://e-journal.biologi.lipi.go.id/index.php/jurnal_biologi_indonesia/article/view/3139; see also https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/28113246). Alpinia zerumbet does not have large, primary bracts along the central rachis and its lateral cincinni are rather few-bracteolate with 2-4 flowers.

Not Native UPL (NWPL)

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