Green ginger | |
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Flower | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Zingiberales |
Family: | Zingiberaceae |
Genus: | Meistera |
Species: | M. dallachyi |
Binomial name | |
Meistera dallachyi | |
Synonyms [3] | |
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Meistera dallachyi, commonly known as green ginger, is a plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae found only in the Wet Tropics bioregion of Queensland, Australia. It is a rhizomatous herb, that is, the stem grows horizontally underground and only the leaves appear above ground. The leaf sheaths (the "stems") may be up to 4 m (13 ft) long with a number of long narrow leaves on either side, each up to about 50 cm (20 in) long by 9 cm (3.5 in) wide. [4] [5]
The flowers are produced at ground level on a spearate stalk to the leaves. The flowers have three white or cream petals and a labellum up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long. The fruit is a yellow or green, three-valved, spiky capsule about 45 mm (1.8 in) long by 30 mm (1.2 in) wide, containing a number of brown or black seeds. [4] [5]
This species was first described in 1873 as Amomum dallachyi by Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller, [6] but by 2002 it was known that the genus Amomum was paraphyletic. [7] : 7 A review of the genus published in 2018 resulted in this species being transferred to the genus Meistera. [7]
It grows in rainforest, particularly where there are breaks in the canopy such as along roads and creeks. It occurs from Kutini-Payamu National Park in the northern part of Cape York, south to about Mission Beach. The altitudinal range is from sea level to about 400 m (1,300 ft). [4] [5]
This species is listed as least concern under the Queensland Government's Nature Conservation Act. [1] As of December 2024 [update] , it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Zingiberaceae or the ginger family is a family of flowering plants made up of about 50 genera with a total of about 1600 known species of aromatic perennial herbs with creeping horizontal or tuberous rhizomes distributed throughout tropical Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Many of the family's species are important ornamental, spice, or medicinal plants. Ornamental genera include the shell gingers (Alpinia), Siam or summer tulip, Globba, ginger lily (Hedychium), Kaempferia, torch-ginger Etlingera elatior, Renealmia, and ginger (Zingiber). Spices include ginger (Zingiber), galangal or Thai ginger, melegueta pepper, myoga, korarima, turmeric (Curcuma), and cardamom.
Alpinia caerulea, commonly known as native ginger or Australian ginger, is an understorey perennial herb in the family Zingiberaceae which grows in rainforest, gallery forest and wet sclerophyll forest in eastern Australia.
Phaleria clerodendron, commonly known as scented daphne, scented phaleria or rosy apple, is an evergreen tree or tall shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae. It is endemic to the rainforests of north-eastern Queensland, Australia.
Buckinghamia celsissima, commonly known as the ivory curl tree, ivory curl flower or spotted silky oak, is a species of tree in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to the tropical rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Hollandaea is a small genus of plants in the family Proteaceae containing four species of Australian rainforest trees. All four species are endemic to restricted areas of the Wet Tropics of northeast Queensland.
Carnarvonia araliifolia, commonly known as the red oak, red silky oak, Caledonian oak or elephant's foot, is the sole species in the genus Carnarvonia, a member of the Proteaceae family. It is endemic to the rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Meistera is an Asian genus of plants in the family Zingiberaceae. Species have been recorded from Tropical & Subtropical Asia to northern Queensland.
Palaquium galactoxylum, commonly known as Cairns pencil cedar, Daintree maple or red silkwood, is a species of plants in the star apple family Sapotaceae which is endemic to rainforests of New Guinea and northern Australia. It can produce spectacularly large buttress roots.
Pleuranthodium racemigerum, commonly known as orange fruited ginger, is a plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae endemic to Queensland, Australia. It was first described by Ferdinand von Mueller as Alpinia racemigera, and given its current name by Rosemary Margaret Smith. It grows in well-developed rainforest and is mostly restricted to the wet tropics region.
Mackinlaya macrosciadea, commonly known as mackinlaya or blue umbrella, is a plant in the carrot, fennel and parsley family Apiaceae, found in the Northern Territory and Queensland, Australia.
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.
Alpinia arctiflora, commonly known as the pleated ginger, is a plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae which is endemic to northeastern Queensland.
Atractocarpus sessilis, commonly known as brown randia, is an evergreen shrub in the family Rubiaceae. It is native to both Queensland, Australia, and Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Tetracera daemeliana, commonly known as large-leaved fire vine, is a vine in the guinea flower family Dilleniaceae first described in 1886, which is endemic to the northern half of Queensland, Australia. The flowers are pleasantly perfumed.
Peperomia enervis is a plant in the pepper family Piperaceae found only in rainforests of northeast Queensland near the cities of Cairns and Mackay. It was first described in 1891.
Amomum queenslandicum, commonly known as Cape York ginger, is a plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae found in New Guinea and a small part of Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia.
Medinilla balls-headleyi, commonly known as Daintree medinilla, is a climbing plant in the family Melastomataceae found only in the Wet Tropics bioregion of Queensland, Australia.
Gynura drymophila is a plant in the family Asteraceae native to eastern New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. It is a herb up to 60 cm (24 in) tall which inhabits a variety of forest types.
Loeseneriella barbata, commonly known as knot vine, is a climbing plant in the family Celastraceae found in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. It was first described in 1859 and its tendrils form distinctive "knots" around its supports.
Tetracera nordtiana, commonly known as small-leaved fire vine, is a climbing plant in the family Dilleniaceae which occurs from eastern Indonesia to the Australian state of Queensland. It was first described in 1865 and has a conservation status of least concern.