Hedychium coronarium

taxobox
name = "Hedychium"


image_caption = "Hedychium coronarium"
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Monocots
unranked_ordo = Commelinids
ordo = Zingiberales
familia = Zingiberaceae
genus = "Hedychium"
species = "H. coronarium"
binomial = "Hedychium coronarium"
binomial_authority = J. Koenig| The "White ginger lily" ("Hedychium coronarium") is originally from the Himalayas region of Nepal and India where it is known as "dolan champa" दोलन चम्पा in Hindi, "takhellei angouba" in Manipuri, "sontaka" in Marathi, and "suruli sugandhi" in Kannada. The species was introduced to Hawaii by settlers. The native Hawaiians refer to white ginger as 'awapuhi', using the juice of mature seed head as a hair and skin treatment.

In Brazil it is very common and considered to be an invasive weed. It was introduced in the era of slavery, brought to the country by African slaves who used its leaves as mattresses.

In Cuba it is the National Flower, known as "Mariposa blanca" literally "White Butterfly Flower", due to its similarity with a flying white butterfly. This particular species is incredibly fragrant and women used to adorn themselves with these flowers in Spanish colonial times; because of the intricate structure of the inflorescence, women hid and carried secret messages important to the independence cause under it.Fact|date=October 2007 It is said that a guajiro's (farmer's) house is not complete without a white ginger in its garden.Fact|date=October 2007 Today the plant has gone wild in the cool rainy mountains in Sierra del Rosario, Pinar del Rio Province in the west, Escambray Mountains in the center of the island, and in Sierra Maestra in the very west of it, but the plant is not endemic of Cuba.

Its fragrance can be extracted by "enfleurage".

References

http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Butterfly%20Ginger%20Lily.htmlhttp://www.plantoftheweek.org/week086.shtmlhttp://www.canoeplants.com/awapuhi.html