975

           Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Roscoe ex Sm. 

Synonym	:	Amomum zerumbet L.
Family	:	Zingiberaceae
Local name	:	Malayalam- Malankuva
Flowering and fruiting period	:	June-October
Distribution	:	India, Thailand, Malayi, Sri-Lanka, Java
Distribution in Kerala	:	Wayanad, Idukki
Habitat	:	Confined mostly to marshy areas both at high altitudes and plains
Uses	:	Inflorescence is used as Shampoo
Key botanical characters: Rhizome large, yellow inside. Leafy shoot fleshy erect, basal portion enclosed by bracts. Bracts elliptic lanceolate, acuminate, green. Leaves petiolate; ligule longer than the petiole; lamina oblong-lanceolate upper surface glabrous lower surfaces pubescent. Inflorescence lateral; spike globose or oblong, rounded at the tip. Bracts ovate, apex broadly rounded with a hyaline memraneous margins, green, outer surface sparsely hairy. Bracteoles ovate-oblong shorter than the bracts, densely pubescent towards the apex. Flowers Yellow. Calyx truncate, split on one side, white. Corolla tube splits in to three lobes, white; dorsal lobe large, lateral lobes small. Labelum 3-lobed, Yellow, dark yellow towards the center. Fruits white with persistent calyx. Seeds many, black, aril lacerate, white to green.