1054

Alpinia mutica Roxb.  

Synonym	:	Renealmia mutica (Roxb.) Salisb.
Family	`	Zingiberaceae
Flowering and fruiting period	:	February-October
Distribution	:	Borneo, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indo-China. In India, mainly distributed in North-East India and South India.
Uses	:	Ornamental
Key botanical characters: Rhizome creamy white, slightly aromatic. Leafy shoot 93-110 cm high, slanting. Leaves 12-16 in number, 6.8-10 cm apart, petiolate; ligule 0.3-0.4 x 0.6-0.8 cm wide, obtuse; lamina 42-50 x 6.8-8.5 cm, elliptic, dark green above, pale green below, glabrous on both sidesInflorescence bracts 1 in number, 16.2-17.5 x 2.6-2.8 cm, oblong, light green, both sides glabrous, coriaceous; margin entire, non-ciliate; tip caudate. Bract and bracteole absent, cincinnus 2 or 3 -flowered. Flowers 5.5-5.7 cm long, 1-3 open at a time, white, yellow with red strips towards mouth, drooping. Labellum broadly ovate, deep yellow, red blotched at base, red striped towards tip, margin entire, tip crumbled and non-emarginate, creamy white at centre on dorsal side. Capsule c. 2.2 x c. 2.3 cm, globose, orange, pubescent, hairs short. Seeds brown, angular, arillate, 58-85 in number. Aril white, membraneous.