Slender Shade Ginger is a perennial herb with
pseudostems 25-80 cm, slender. Leaves are 4-6, stalkless, leaf sheath
greenish white or with purple-red spot, ligule about 2 mm, membranous,
tip rounded. Leaves are green above, usually purple or green below,
lanceshaped or oblong-lanceshaped, 6-18 × 1.5-6 cm, hairless, base
rounded or flat, tip with tapring tip which falls off. Flowers are
borne in slender, laxly 2-10-flowered spikes. Rachis is red, slightly
flexuous; bracts green, lanceolate, shorter than calyx. Sepal cup is
purple-red, 1.5-2 cm, deeply split on 1 side, tip minutely toothed.
Flower tube is slightly exserted from sepal cup, petals bright yellow,
lanceshaped, 1.5-2 cm. Lateral staminodes are erect, petal-like. Lip is
obovate, equaling petals, apically 2-cleft to below middle. Filament is
curved, about 2 cm. Capsule is red, around, about 8 mm in diameter.
Seeds are black, angled; aril absent. Slender Shade Ginger is found in
Eastern Himalayas, at altitudes of 900-3100 m. Flowering:
July-September.
Identification credit: Tabish
Photographed in Darjeeling.
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The flower labeled Slender Shade Ginger is ...