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Alpinia rugosa S.J.Chen & Z.Y.Chen

Family Name:	Zingiberaceae
Common Name:	Evergreen Broadleaf Ginger

Alpinia rugosa or Evergreen Broadleaf Ginger is a rhizomatous herb can reach to a height of 1.2 m tall. It has wrinkled elongated leaves and flowers that are white in colour, with an orange lip and pink tubular calyx. The Evergreen Broadleaf Ginger was first discovered in Baoting County, Hainan and known to only exist naturally in Hainan Island.

Semi Shade

Moderate Water

Ornamental Flowers

Ornamental Leaves

Herbaceous Plant

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Name Status (botanical)
Common Names
Comments
Species Summary

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Herbaceous Plant
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Maximum Height

1.2 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Hainan
Native Habitat	Terrestrial
Preferred Climate Zone	Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal, Tropical

Local Conservation Status

Non-native

Description and Ethnobotany

Growth Form	It is a rhizomatous herb that produce stem-like stalks (pseudostems) that reaches to 1.2 m in height.
Foliage	Its foliage has ruffled or wrinkled (rugose) leaf blades that are elongated and oblong in shape. The leaves are glabrous on the top, pubescent at the bottom. They can measure between 23 - 57 cm long, 5 - 8 cm wide, held on a short hairy petiole of 1 - 5 cm long.
Flowers	Its flowers are held on a raceme inflorescence. Flowers are white, tubular with a orange coloured lip, tinged in red emerging from a pink tubular calyx. Each inflorescence is 5 - 11 cm tall, produces up to 20 flowers.

Fruit	Its fruits are produced in an elliptic capsule of 1.8 - 2.1 cm by 1.4 - 1.9 cm. The pubescent fruits are yellow in colour when matured.
Habitat	It occurs in shaded wet areas in valley forests, 600 - 800m altitude.
Taxonomy	Alpinia rugosa was first discovered in 1990, at Mount. Diaoluoshan, Baoting County in Hainan Province, China and confirmed that the species is known to be endemic to Hainan island.
Cultivation	It thrives well in containers, indoors or on the patio. Plant the species in well drained mix and avoid arid or wet, mucky soils.
Etymology	The genus, Alpinia honours Prosper Alpino, an Italian botanist who introduced coffee and bananas to Europe while the species epithet, rugosa translates to rugose in reference to the leaves wrinkled appearance.

Landscaping Features

Desirable Plant Features	Ornamental Foliage, Ornamental Flowers
Landscape Uses	Container Planting, Parks & Gardens

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Semi-Shade
Water Preference	Moderate Water
Plant Growth Rate	Fast

Rootzone Tolerance	Fertile Loamy Soils, Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils
Propagation Method

Foliar

Foliage Retention	Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate

Foliar Arrangement Along Stem	Alternate
Foliar Attachment to Stem	Petiolate
Foliar Shape(s)
Foliar Venation	Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin	Entire
Foliar Apex - Tip	Acuminate
Foliar Base	Cordate, Oblique / Asymmetrical

Non - Foliar and Storage

Stem Type & Modification	Pseudostem
Root Type	Underground (Fibrous Root)
Specialised Storage Organ(s)	Underground (Rhizome)

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality	Bisexual Flowers , Bisexual Flowers
Flower Colour(s)	White, Orange, Red, Pink

Flower Grouping	Cluster / Inflorescence
Flower Location	Terminal
Flower Symmetry	Bilateral
Individual Flower Shape	Labiate / Lipped
Inflorescence Type	Raceme
Flowering Habit	Polycarpic

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s)	Yellow / Golden
Fruit Classification	Simple Fruit
Fruit Type	Indehiscent Dry Fruit , Capsule

References

References	Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (continuously updated). Plants of the World Online \| Kew Science. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77122645-1. Accessed 6 January 2022. Zou, P., Ye, YS., Chen, S.J., Chen, Z.Y. & Liao, J.P (2012). Alpinia rugosa (Zingiberaceae), a New Species from Hainan, China. Novon, Vol. 22, pp. 128 - 130.

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Master ID	34192
Species ID	8605
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.