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Alpinia calcarata
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Family:
ZINGIBERACEAE
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Citation: Alpinia calcarata Rosc., Trans. Linn. Soc. London 8: 347. 1807; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 6: 254. 1892; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 1493(1043). 1928; Mohanan, Fl. Quilon Dist. 404. 1984; Antony, Syst. Stud. Fl. Kottayam Dist. 389. 1989; Babu, Fl. Malappuram Dist. 788. 1990; Sabu, Taxonomic Phylogenetic Stud. Zingiberac. 108. 1991; Mangaly & Sabu, Rheedea 2: 41. 1992; Sivar. & Mathew, Fl. Nilambur 703. 1997; Anil Kumar et al., Fl. Pathanamthitta 497. 2005; Sabu, Zingiberaceae and Costaceae of South India 50. 2006; Sunil & Sivadasan, Fl. Alappuzha Dist. 681. 2009; Ratheesh Narayanan, Fl. Stud. Wayanad Dist. 858. 2009.
Alpinia cernua Sims, Bot. Mag. 44: t. 1900. 1817.
Alpinia spicata Roxb., Asiat. Res. 11: 356. 1810.
Languas calcarata (Rosc.) Alston in Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon 6: 282. 1931.
Alpinia erecta Steud., Nomencl. Bot. (ed. 2) 62. 1840.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Aratha, Chittaratha, Kolinchi
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
Lesser galangal, Snap Ginger
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Description:
Leafy stem 1-1.5 m. Leaves sessile, lamina glabrous, 40-50 x 2-2.5 cm, linear-lanceolate, narrowed towards the base, tip acuminate, margin with short bristles placed 1-2 mm apart; ligule membranous, c. 1 cm long, tip shortly bifid, margin ciliate. Inflorescence terminal, 10-15 cm long, densely paniculate, lower cincinni 4-flowered, upper 2-flowered; peduncle densely pubescent. Bracts minute, c. 1 mm long, triangular, pubescent, deciduous. Bracteoles membranous, splitting to the base, 1-1.5 x 0.7-0.8 cm, ovate, minutely pubescent outside, glabrous within, deciduous. Flowers shortly pedicellate; pedicel densely pubescent. Calyx tubular, 0.8-1 cm long, sparsely pubescent. Corolla tube almost equal to the calyx, pubescent, lobes oblong, pubescent outside; dorsal lobe 1.5-1.8 x 0.6-0.8 cm; lateral lobes c. 1.5 x 0.5 cm. Labellum obovate, 3 cm long, 1.5-1.8 cm wide in the lower half, tip emarginate, variegated with dark purple and yellow, glabrous. Lateral staminodes small, subulate, at the base of the labellum. Stamen 2 cm long, shorter than the labellum, anther 8 mm long, thecae parallel, pubescent, ecrestate; style slightly projected above the anther; stigma rounded with ciliate opening. Epigynous glands two, 3 mm long, thick, free from each other. Ovary 4 x 3 mm, densely pubescent, trilocular with many ovules. Fruit globose, 2-2.5 x 1.5 cm, pubescent, orange-red. Seeds many.
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Habit:
Herb
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Flowering & Fruiting:
May-December
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District(s):
All Districts
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Medicinal:
Yes
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Habitat:
Widely cultivated, sometimes runs wild
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Distribution:
Indo-Malesia
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Aquatic:
No
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Epiphyte(s):
No
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Saprophyte:
No
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Stem parasite:
No
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Root parasite:
No
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Flower colour(s):
Brown, White
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Weed:
No
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Monocot/Dicot:
Monocotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
No
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Garden:
No
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Edible:
No
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Vegetable:
No
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Endemic to:
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IUCN status:
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Altitude:
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Localities:
Adoor, Venmony, Karimpuzha
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