| Snow ginger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In rainforest near Copperlode Falls Dam | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Zingiberales |
| Family: | Zingiberaceae |
| Genus: | Alpinia |
| Species: | A. arctiflora |
| Binomial name | |
| Alpinia arctiflora | |
| Synonyms [3] | |
| |
Alpinia arctiflora, commonly known as the pleated ginger, is a plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae which is endemic to northeastern Queensland.
Alpinia arctiflora is a rhizomatous herb, meaning that the stem takes the form of an underground rhizome with only the leafy shoots and flowers appearing above ground. [4] [5] [6] It grows to around 3 m (9.8 ft) high, each shoot carrying a number of lanceolate leaves on short petioles, each about 50 cm (20 in) long by 10 cm (3.9 in) wide. [4] [5] [6] [7] The inflorescence is an erect terminal panicle about 20 cm (7.9 in) long. [4] [5] [6] [7]
The white flowers have a pale green to cream calyx about 20 mm (0.79 in) long, a white corolla tube about 40 mm (1.6 in) long, and a distinctive broad labellum, tinted with yellow in the centre, about 20 mm (0.79 in) long and wide. [4] [5] [7]
The fruit is a somewhat cylindical dehiscent capsule to 80 mm × 20 mm (3.15 in × 0.79 in) long. The calyx persists at the tip of the capsule, and it holds numerous black or brown seeds about 3 mm (0.12 in) diameter. It is green at first, turning grey/brown at maturity. [4] [5] [7]
Flowering occurs from August to April and the fruits ripen from February to August. [7]
The snow ginger was first described in 1873 by the Victorian Government botanist Ferdinand von Mueller, published in his massive work Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae as Hellenia arctiflora. In the same year George Bentham renamed the species Alpinia arctiflora, publishing it in his own work Flora Australiensis . [2] [3]
The genus name Alpinia was given in honour of the Italian botanist Prospero Alpini. The species epithet arctiflora is built from the Latin words arcticus , "arctic", and flora , "flower", and refers to the white flowers. [7]
This species is endemic to northeastern Queensland, from near Cooktown to Paluma. It grows in rainforest at altitudes ranging from near sea level to 1,300 m (4,300 ft). [4] [5] [7]
This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern. [1] As of 27 January 2023 [update] , it has not been assessed by the IUCN.
Alpinia is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates. Several species are cultivated as ornamental plants. Species of the genus are known generally as shell ginger.
Hymenosporum is a monotypic genus in the family Pittosporaceae. The sole included species is Hymenosporum flavum, commonly known as native frangipani, which is a rainforest tree native to New Guinea, Queensland and New South Wales. Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the frangipani, but is related to the widespread genus Pittosporum.
Atractocarpus chartaceus, commonly known as the narrow-leaved gardenia, is a species of evergreen flowering plant in the madder and coffee family Rubiaceae. It is mostly found in subtropical rainforest of eastern Australia, and it is cultivated for its fragrant flowers and colourful fruit.
Dysoxylum pettigrewianum, commonly known as spur mahogany, spurwood, or Cairns satinwood, is a large tree in the family Meliaceae. It is native to the rainforests of Malesia, Papuasia and Queensland. In Queensland it occurs only in a small part of the northeast coast.
Dillenia alata, commonly known as red beech, golden guinea flower or golden guinea tree, is a tree in the Dilleniaceae family, found in tropical forests of the Moluccas, New Guinea, and northern Australia.
Dysoxylum arborescens, commonly known in Australia as Mossman mahogany, is a small tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is native to rainforests of Malesia, Papuasia, Queensland and nearby islands.
Palmeria scandens, commonly known as the anchor vine or pomegranate vine, is a climbing plant in the family Monimiaceae prevalent in rainforests of Queensland and New South Wales. It may also be present in New Guinea.
Amyema plicatula is a species of hemi-parasitic shrub found in the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, New South Wales and Queensland.
Gardenia actinocarpa is a rare and endangered plant in the madder family Rubiaceae that grows in a very restricted area within the Wet Tropics rainforest of north-east Queensland.
Atractocarpus hirtus, commonly known as the hairy gardenia or native loquat, is a plant in the madder family Rubiaceae, a large family of some 6,500 species with a cosmopolitan distribution. This species is endemic to north-east Queensland, Australia.
Myristica insipida, commonly known in Australia as Australian nutmeg, Queensland nutmeg or native nutmeg, is a small rainforest tree in the family Myristicaceae native to parts of Malesia, Papuasia and Australia. It is closely related to the commercially-important species of nutmeg, M. fragrans.
Harpullia ramiflora, commonly known as the Claudie tulipwood or Cape York tulipwood, is a tree in the Sapindaceae family native to north east Queensland, New Guinea and parts of Malesia.
Xanthophyllum octandrum, commonly known as Macintyre's boxwood, false jitta, yellow boxwood or sovereignwood, is a slow-growing tree in the milkwort family Polygalaceae which has the potential to reach thousands of years of age. It is endemic to coastal northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Alstonia muelleriana is a tree in the dogbane family Apocynaceae which is native to southern Papua New Guinea and northeastern Queensland.
Atractocarpus merikin, commonly known as the mountain gardenia or merikin, is a plant in the Rubiaceae family endemic to northeast Queensland.
Alyxia oblongata, commonly known as the chain fruit, prickly lixy, or prickly Alyxia, is a plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae endemic to a small part of northeastern Queensland.
Archidendron vaillantii, commonly known as the salmon bean, is an evergreen tree in the legume family Fabaceae. It is endemic to the rainforests of northeast Queensland.
Pittosporum ferrugineum, commonly known as the rusty pittosporum or rusty-leaved pittosporum, is an evergreen plant in the family Pittosporaceae native to Malesia, Papuasia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.
Piper mestonii, commonly known as Queensland long pepper or simply long pepper, is an evergreen vine in the pepper family Piperaceae native to rainforests of New Guinea and Queensland, Australia.
Piper interruptum is a vine in the pepper family Piperaceae, native to the eastern parts of Southeast Asia and to Melanesia and Queensland.
Data related to Alpinia arctiflora at Wikispecies
Media related to Alpinia arctiflora at Wikimedia Commons