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Kaempferia galanga
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Family:
ZINGIBERACEAE
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Citation: Kaempferia galanga L., Sp. Pl. 2. 1753; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 6: 219. 1890; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 1484(1037). 1928; Manilal & Sivar., Fl. Calicut 287. 1982; Mohanan, Fl. Quilon Dist. 407. 1984; Babu, Fl. Malappuram Dist. 797. 1990; Sabu, Taxonomic Phylogenetic Stud. Zingiberac. 278. 1991; M. Mohanan & Henry, Fl. Thiruvanthapuram 475. 1994; Sasidh. & Sivar., Fl. Pl. Thrissur For. 464. 1996; Sasidh., Fl. Shenduruny WLS 338. 1997; Ravikumar & Ved, Illustr. Field Guide 100 Red Listed Med. Pl. 212. 2000; Sabu, Zingiberaceae and Costaceae of South India 213. 2006; Ratheesh Narayanan, Fl. Stud. Wayanad Dist. 867. 2009.
Alpinia sessilis Koenig in Retz., Obs. Bot. 3: 64. 1783.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Kacholam, Kachoori, Kachoram
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
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Description:
Rhizomatous herbs; rhizome 2-3 x 1-2 cm, crowded, strongly aromatic; roots numerous, often bearing, ovoid to spherical, 1.5-2 x 0.5-1 cm, white tubers. Leafy shoot stemless, almost horizontal, near the ground. Leaves 2 or 3; lamina 10-15 x 6-10 cm, broadly ovate to orbicular, base rounded to subcordate, tip broadly pointed, margin hyaline, upper surface dark green, glabrous, lower surface pale green, white with violetish tinge towards the tip, densely hairy. Inflorescence sessile, 6-12 or more flowered, enclosed within 1.5-3.5 cm long, imbricating leaf sheaths (one flower opens at a time); bracts bifarious, outer larger, inner smaller, 3-4 x 1 cm, ovate-acuminate, white with light green tip, glabrous; bracteoles split to the base (thus each flower appears to have 2 bracteoles), 3.5 cm long, transparent, membranous, glabrous. Calyx c. 3 cm long, equal to or shorter than the bracts, glabrous. Corolla tube, 4.5-5 cm long; lobes white, 2.5-3 cm long, linear. Labellum c. 2.3 x 2.5 cm, slightly broader than long, divided 2/3 to the base, each lobe again splits shortly into two unequal halves, white with violet bands in basal half, glabrous. Lateral staminodes, c. 2.2 x 1.5 cm, obovate, white, glabrous. Anthers white, sessile, thecae, 3 mm long, parallel; connective prolonged into a crest, crest bilobed, lobes rounded, strongly reflexed, white. Stigma globular with a lateral slit. Epigynous glands two, filiform, erect, embracing the lower part of the style. Ovary 5 x 3 mm, tricarpellary, many ovules in axile palcenta.
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Habit:
Herb
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Flowering & Fruiting:
April-September
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District(s):
All Districts
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Medicinal:
Yes
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Habitat:
Cultivated
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Distribution:
Paleotropics
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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):
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:
-700
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Localities:
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