Alpinia caerulea

taxobox
name = "Alpinia caerulea"

---

regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Monocots
unranked_ordo = Commelinids
ordo = Zingiberales
familia = Zingiberaceae
subfamilia = Alpinioideae
tribus = Alpinieae
genus = "Alpinia"
species = "A. caerulea"
binomial = "Alpinia caerulea"
binomial_authority = (R.Br.) Benth.|

Native ginger, "Alpinia caerulea", is an understorey perennial herb to 3 m., growing under rainforest, gallery forest and wet sclerophyll forest canopy in eastern Australia.

Leaves are up to 40 cm long and 3–10 cm wide. The inflorescence is 10–30 cm long. [ PlantNET, [http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Alpinia~caerulea Alpinia caerulea plant profile] ] The blue capsule is globose 1 cm across, with a brittle outer covering containing black seed and white pulp.

Uses

The white pulp of native ginger has a pleasant sour flavour, used to activate salivary glands to moisten the mouth when bushwalking, with the seeds usually being discarded. The capsules can also be used as a flavouring spice, using the whole fruit and seed dried and ground. They can also be used to impart a pleasant sour flavour and red color in herbal teas. The centers of new shoots have mild gingery flavour, and are excellent in various dishes as a ginger substitute. The roots can also be used in cooking, and have a more earthy resinous flavour.

References