Alpinia caerulea
| Alpinia caerulea | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Zingiberales |
| Family: | Zingiberaceae |
| Genus: | Alpinia |
| Species: | A. caerulea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Alpinia caerulea (R.Br.) Benth.
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Alpinia caerulea, commonly known as native ginger or in the case of the subspecies from the Atherton Tableland red back ginger[2], is an understorey perennial herb to 3 m, growing under rainforest, gallery forest and wet sclerophyll forest canopy in eastern Australia.
Leaves are up to 40 cm long and 3–10 cm wide. The inflorescence is 10–30 cm long.[3] The blue capsule is globose 1 cm across, with a brittle outer covering containing black seed and white pulp.
Uses
The white pulp of native ginger has a sour flavour, used to activate salivary glands to moisten the mouth when bushwalking, with the seeds usually being discarded. The capsules can also be used as a flavouring spice, using the whole fruit and seed dried and ground. They can also be used to impart a sour flavour and red color in herbal teas.
The centers of new shoots have mild gingery flavour, and are excellent in various dishes as a ginger substitute. The roots can also be used in cooking, and have a more earthy resinous flavour.
See also
References
- ^ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ Domus Nursery - Alpinia 'Atherton' profile
- ^ PlantNET, Alpinia caerulea plant profile
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