1105

Hedychium  speciosum var. gardnerianum (Ker Gawl.) Sanoj & M. Sabu,

Synonym	:	Hedychium gardnerianum
Family	:	Zingiberaceae
Flowering and fruiting period	:	July–November
Distribution	:	India, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Yunnan provinces of China and as wide invasive species in New Zealand, Hawaii and Micronesia.
Endemic/exotic	:	Exotic
Uses	:	Ornamental
Key botanical characters: Rhizome 3–3.8 cm wide, creamy white internally, slightly aromatic. Leafy shoot 100–160 cm high. Leaves, sessile; lamina 29–49 x 7–12.3 cm, elliptic, glabrous, puberulent at tip, green above, pale green and glaucous below; margin undulate, membranous, translucent. Inflorescence 22–30 cm long, cylindrical, lax, erect; rachis 6–8 mm thick, glabrous, glaucous. Bracts 3.5–3.6 x 1.4–1.5 cm, elliptic, pale green, red tinged towards base, glabrous, glaucous, coriaceous, convolute; cincinnus 1–2 -flowered. Bracteoles 2.3–2.4 x 4.5–5 cm, tubular, translucent, pale red, glabrous, glaucous completely encircles the cincinnus. Flower 12.5–12.8 cm long, lemon-yellow with red stamen, many flowers open at a time, inclined on inflorescence, slightly fragrant.