1051

 Alpinia conchigera Griff.

Family	`	Zingiberaceae
Local name	:	Khasi: Gonth–tara. Malay: Lengkuas genting. Thai: Kha ling.
Flowering and fruiting period	:	May to October.
Distribution	:	South East Asia, Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. India- Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Assam.
Endemic/Exotic		NA
Uses	:	Consumed mainly by the local people as spices, condiment and also has some medicinal values
Key botanical characters:  Rhizome 1.5-1.8 cm thick, creamy white. Leafy shoots 119-139 cm high, slanting. Leaves 8-9 in number, ligule 0.6-0.7 x 0.4-0.5 cm, dark green above, pale green below. Inflorescence 12-14.5 cm long, erect, terminal; Bract c. 0.1cm long, single, green at base, cincinnus 2 or 3 -flowered. Flower 1.4-1.6 cm long, creamy yellow, 2-3 opens at a time; Labellum ovate, creamy yellow, brown spots towards margin and centre, glabrous on either sides, margin non-ciliate, brown at margin, emarginate.  Stamen 1-1.2 cm long, yellow, straight. Capsule globular, red when ripe, glabrous. Seeds few, brown, triangular.