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Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M.Sm.
| Family Name: | Zingiberaceae |
| Synonyms: | Nicolaia elatior (Jack) Horan., Phaeomeria speciosa (Blume) Koord., Nicolaia speciosa (Blume) Horan., Alpinia elatior Jack |
| Common Name: | Torch Ginger, Philippine Waxflower, Painted Net Leaf, Nerve Plant, Bunga Kantan, 玫瑰姜, 火炬姜, 瓷玫瑰 |
The Torch Ginger (Etlingera elatior) is a rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial that can reach 3 - 6 metres tall. While it is usually grown as a landscaping ornamental in Singapore, the young inflorescence of the plant is also edible, often shredded into salads and rojak or used as flavouring in laksa and curries.
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Herbaceous Plant |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi |
|---|---|
| Native Habitat | Terrestrial (Primary Rainforest, Secondary Rainforest, Disturbed Area / Open Ground) |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal |
| Local Conservation Status | Non-native |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is a rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial that grows upright, slightly arching towards the tips, about 2 - 6 m tall and forming large colonies. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | The leaves are green, smooth, and lanceolate, up to 38 - 85 cm long and 8 - 18 cm wide. The ligule (projection at the top of the leaf sheath) is two-lobed, up to 1.5 cm long, and the petiole is 1.5 - 4 cm long. The 14 - 34 leaves are arranged alternately in two ranks along the shoot, i.e. distichously. |
| Stems | The erect aboveground 'stems' are pseudostems, a shoot formed from a series of leaf sheaths tightly wrapped around one another, and can reach 2 - 6 m tall. The true stems are underground ginger-like rhizomes (thick, horizontal modified stems). |
| Flowers | The inflorescence is an egg-shaped spike or head, consisting of overlapping fleshy, crimson-pink bracts subtending small flowers. The smooth, green peduncle (central stalk on inflorescence) can grow up to 60 - 200 cm long and 0.8 - 1.5 cm wide. The tubular flower comprises fused sepals hidden by the bract, a pink corolla tube with three apical lobes, a showy yellow-margined labellum or lip made from two fused staminodes (sterile stamens), a stamen with short, white filaments and red anthers, and a hidden pistil. |
| Fruit | The infructescence is a cluster of greenish or reddish fleshy fruits 2 - 2.5 cm in diameter containing many black seeds. |
| Habitat | It grows in primary and secondary forests, forest edges, disturbed areas and secondary vegetation near villages. |
| Associated Fauna | The flowers are pollinated by nectavorous birds, such as the Brown-Throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malaccensis) and the Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra), as well as butterflies from the families Lycaenidae and Danaidae. <1> The fruits are most likely dispersed by mammals, such as bats and rodents. |
| Cultivation | It does well in fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter and grows in bright, direct or indirect sunlight or under partial shade. It is tolerant of acidic soil. It can be propagated by seed and division via rhizomes. |
| Etymology | The genus Etlingera is named in honour of A.E. Etlinger, an 18th Century botanist who published an extensive description of the genus Salvia. The specific epithet elatior means "tall", referring to the plant height or the inflorescence. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses | Edible Plant Parts : Edible Flowers Food (Fruit or Vegetable): In Malaysia and Thailand, the young shoots and inflorescence are consumed raw by the indigenous communities <3>. In Malaysia, half-ripe fruits are used in cooking, and ripe fruits can be eaten raw or processed into candies. (Herb or Spice): In Singapore and Malaysia, the young inflorescence is sliced and used in rojak and salads as well as to flavour laksa and curry. <2 & 3>. In Thailand, the raw inflorescence bud is added to a salad called "khaao yam" or eaten with a spicy sauce. Medicinal: Traditional Medicinal Uses In Malaysia, the decoction of its fruits, and leaves are used to treat ear-ache and applied to cleanse wounds, respectively <2>. The plant is also used by post-partum women during for confinement; leaves mixed with other aromatic herbs in water are used for bathing to remove body odour <2> and shredded inflorescence with betel leaf is used said to relieve flatulence <3>. It is also believed that daily intake of the raw inflorescence can reduce diabetes and hypertension <3>. It is important to note that some therapeutic effects from traditional medicinal uses of plants are currently not supported or verified by scientific research. Cut - Dried Flower: The inflorescence is cultivated as cut flowers in Hawaii and Australia. |
Landscaping Features
| Desirable Plant Features | Ornamental Flowers, Ornamental Form |
|---|---|
| Landscape Uses | General, Parks & Gardens |
| Thematic Landscaping | Bird & Wildlife Garden, Butterfly Garden |
Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
| Fauna Pollination Dispersal Associated Fauna | Bird-Attracting (Flowers), Butterfly-Attracting (Flower Nectar) |
|---|---|
| Pollination Method(s) | Biotic (Fauna) (Insects (Butterfly, Moth), Vertebrates (Bird)) |
| Seed or Spore Dispersal | Biotic (Fauna) (Vertebrates (Bat), Vertebrates (Other Mammal)) |
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Semi-Shade, Full Sun |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Lots of Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Moist Soils, Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils, Acidic (low pH) Soils |
| Maintenance Requirements | Low |
| Diseases | The rhizomes can be infected with rhizome rot (caused by Pythium) and leaf spot (caused by Colletotrichum). |
| Pest(s) | Chewing Insects |
| Propagation Method | Seed, Division, Storage Organ (Rhizome) |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Smooth |
| Foliar Modification | Flower/Fruit Bract |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Alternate |
| Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Oblong, Lanceolate) |
| Foliar Margin | Entire |
| Foliar Apex - Tip | Acuminate |
| Foliar Base | Truncate / Square |
| Typical Foliar Area | Megaphyll (>1640.25cm2 ) |
| Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio | 3.5 (Shrub & Groundcover - Monocot) |
Non - Foliar and Storage
| Stem Type & Modification | Pseudostem, Herbaceous |
|---|---|
| Root Type | Underground (Fibrous Root) |
| Specialised Storage Organ(s) | Underground (Rhizome) |
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Bisexual Flowers |
| Flower Colour(s) | Pink, Yellow / Golden |
|---|---|
| Flower Texture(s) | Smooth |
| Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
| Flower Location | Axillary |
| Flower Symmetry | Bilateral |
| Individual Flower Shape | Tubular |
| Inflorescence Type | Head / Capitulum, Spike |
| Ovary Position | Inferior / Epipgynous |
| Flowering Period | Free-Flowering |
| Flowering Habit | Polycarpic |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Green, Red |
|---|---|
| Mature Fruit Texture(s) | Hairy / Hirsute |
| Fruit Classification | Simple Fruit |
| Fruit Type | |
| Mature Seed Colour(s) | Black |
| Seed Quantity Per Fruit | Numerous (>20) |
References
| References | <1> Classen, R. (1987). Morphological Adaptations for Bird Pollination in Nicolaia elatior* (Jack) Horan (Zingiberaceae). Gard. Bull. Sing. 40(1) pp. 37 - 44. <2> Ibrahim, H., & Setyowati, F.M. (1999). Etlingera. In: de Guzman, C.C.,& Siemonsma, J.S. (Eds.), Plant resources of south-east Asia, Vol. 13, Pudoc, Wageningen, pp. 123–126. <3> Mai, C.W., Wong, S.Y., Tan, E.L., Balijepalli, M.K. and Pichika, M.R. (2009). Antiproliferative and apoptotic studies of the standardised extracts of Etlingera elatior on human colorectal carcinoma cells. Malaysian Journal of Chemistry 11: pp 136-142 <4> Poulsen, A.D. (2006). Etlingera of Borneo. Natural History of Publication (Borneo). pp 111-118. |
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Others
| Master ID | 695 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 1990 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |
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