General Information

COMMON NAMES: Shell Ginger, Pink Porcelain Lily, Shell Flower; German Alpinie, Galgant TRADITIONAL NAMES: Kōpī ‘Enua (MG), Kaopu‘i (MK), Kaopui (AK); Other Polynesian - Teuila (TON), Teuila (SAM) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Indonesia - New Guinea COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; Land, lowlands - inland valleys SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine, Ornamental flowers, Erosion control (MG); Weed - moderate KEY FEATURES: Coarse herb to 4m. NFLOR nodding, bracteoles white with pink tips; FL inner perianth segs. white with red-pink tips, labellum yellow with

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+++	+++	++	+		++	-		-

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-

Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.)
SYNONYMS: Alpinia speciosa [sensu]; Alpinia nutans [sensu TC/GW]; Catimbium speciosum; Languas speciosa; Costus speciosus

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); LILIOPSIDA (=Monocotyledones); ZINGIBERIDAE; Zingiberales; ZINGIBERACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine, Ornamental flowers, Erosion control (MG). Comments: Used like Vetiver Grass to control erosion on Mangaia.
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Weed - moderate

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.259 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.55 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.925 Tropica
p.1/214 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.298 R* Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.34 R Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.371d Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM04b, zD02

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