Hedychium spicatum

Spiked Ginger Lily
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Zingiberales
Family:	Zingiberaceae
Genus:	Hedychium
Species:	H. spicatum
Binomial name
Hedychium spicatum Sm. in A.Rees
Synonyms
Gandasulium spicatum (Sm.) Kuntze Hedychium acuminatum Roscoe Hedychium trilobum Wall. ex Roscoe Hedychium flavescens Lodd. ex Lindl. 1852, illegitimate homonym, not Carey ex Roscoe 1824 Hedychium album Buch.-Ham. ex Wall. Hedychium sieboldii Wall. Hedychium spicatum var. acuminatum (Roscoe) Wall. Hedychium spicatum var. trilobum (Wall. ex Roscoe) Wall. Hedychium tavoyanum Horan. Gandasulium sieboldii (Wall.) Kuntze Hedychium spicatum var. khasianum C.B.Clarke ex Baker in J.D.Hooker

Hedychium spicatum is a plant species native to China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan), the Himalayas, Myanmar, Thailand and Ethiopia.

Hedychium spicatum smallish hardy perennial that grows to around 1 m, with green leaves and large orange and white flowers. It is also commonly known as Spiked Ginger Lily, or Perfume ginger; with foreign names of Sandharlika संधार्लिका (Hindi), Kapur kachri कपूर कचरी (Hindi), and Takhellei (Manipuri), Cao Guo Yao 草果药 (Mandarin), Afer kocher (Amharic).

Uses

The aromatic dried root of this plant is often used as an incense in Ethiopia.

External links

• Flowers of India