Zingiber zerumbet seed

LATIN NAME: Zingiber zerumbet

COMMON NAME: Awapuhi, Bitter Ginger, Pinecone Ginger

The awapuhi is a handsome and generous plant of the warm forests, and its tall, leafy stems and its striking, pinecone-like heads of the bloom have made it a beloved plant of the tropical garden and the traditional use of the Pacific. It grows as a plant of the ginger family, with the leafy stems growing to about a metre and a half, bearing the long, lance-shaped, green leaves and, in the warm season, the remarkable, cone-like flower heads at the tops of the separate stalks, composed of the many overlapping, green to red, waxy bracts, which gradually fill with the clear, fragrant, watery liquid, followed by the small, inconspicuous flowers among the bracts. It is a species of plant in the ginger family, and it originates from the Asia, while it can be found in the many tropical countries, and it is known as the awapuhi, the bitter ginger or the pinecone ginger, and it is a beloved plant of the tropical garden.

The awapuhi belongs to the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, and it is a species of plant, originating from the Asia, while it can be found in the many tropical countries. It is known as the awapuhi, the bitter ginger or the pinecone ginger, while it is prized for its striking, pinecone-like heads of the bloom.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The awapuhi has a genuine and distinguished place in both chemical and cultural research. It has been studied in the chemistry of the natural products, since the rhizomes and the other parts contain a range of the compounds, and researchers have examined the plant, its many constituents and their potential uses, while the fragrant, watery liquid in the cone-like heads has been used in the traditional use of the Pacific, in the hair and the skin care, and the chemistry of the awapuhi has drawn attention in the international natural-product press as a plant of the continuing research, and the plant is best appreciated as a subject of study and of the traditional use rather than a casual home remedy. The plant has also been studied in the cultural and the ethnobotanical research, since it has a long history of the traditional use in the Pacific, and researchers have examined the traditional uses and the cultural history of the plant, while the awapuhi and its place in the traditions of the islands have drawn attention in the international cultural and botanical press. The species has also been studied in the horticulture, since it is a beloved plant of the tropical garden, prized for its striking, pinecone-like heads of the bloom, and its cultivation and its value in the warm garden have been examined. For a plant of such beauty and such history, the awapuhi has a rich and distinguished record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the awapuhi is a generous plant of the warm forests. Its cone-like heads of the bloom feed the bees and the insects, and its tall, leafy stems give cover, while it is a beloved presence in the tropical gardens and the forest edges of the warm world.

Its economic value is real and cultural. The fragrant, watery liquid in the cone-like heads has been used in the traditional use of the Pacific, in the hair and the skin care, and the plant has drawn attention in the international natural-product and cultural press, while it is also a beloved plant of the tropical garden, prized for its striking bloom. For a grower, the awapuhi is a rewarding and generous plant, and for a gardener in a warm, humid, frost-free region it brings tall, leafy stems and striking, pinecone-like heads of the bloom. The seeds are easy to start — sow them fresh in a pot of moist, rich, free-draining compost in a warm, shady spot, keep them gently watered, and they’ll be sprouting within a few weeks, growing on into a leafy, cone-headed plant.

Zingiber zerumbet is a perennial. From autumn until spring it goes dormant above ground as the leafy stems shrivel and die away, leaving the pale brown, creeping stems (rhizomes) at ground level. In the spring, the plant springs up anew. The 10–12 blade-shaped leaves 15–20 cm long grow in an alternate arrangement on thin, upright stem to 1.2 m (3.9 ft) tall. Among the leafy stems, the conical or club-shaped flower heads burst forth on separate and shorter stalks. These appear in the summer, after the leafy stems have been growing for a while. The flower heads are initially green and are 3 to 10 cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) long with overlapping scales, enclosing small yellowish-white flowers that poke out a few at a time. As the flower heads mature, they gradually fill with an aromatic, slimy liquid and turn a brighter red color. The flower stalks usually remain hidden beneath the leaf stalks.