Английская Википедия:Alpinia caerulea

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Alpinia caerulea, commonly known as native ginger or Australian ginger, is an understorey perennial herb in the family Zingiberaceae which grows in rainforest, gallery forest and wet sclerophyll forest in eastern Australia.

Description

Alpinia caerulea is a rhizomatous plant with arching stalks growing to Шаблон:Cvt long.Шаблон:R Each carries a number of large alternately arranged leaves up to Шаблон:Cvt long and Шаблон:Cvt wide.Шаблон:R They are either sessile or with a very short petiole, glossy dark green above and lighter below, with an acuminate tip.Шаблон:R

The inflorescence is terminal on the stalks, up to Шаблон:Cvt long and contains numerous white flowers.Шаблон:R The fruit is a capsule, blue, globose and about Шаблон:Cvt diameter. The casing is thin and brittle, containing numerous black seeds set in white pith.Шаблон:R

Flowering occurs from September to April, and the fruit may ripen in any month.Шаблон:R

Taxonomy

This species was first described – albeit very briefly – in 1810 by the Scottish botanist Robert Brown, who gave it the name Hellenia caerulea.Шаблон:R The English botanist George Bentham reviewed the taxon in 1873 and gave it a much more detailed description, as well as the new combination Alpinia caerulea. It was published in the book Flora australiensis: a description of the plants of the Australian territory.Шаблон:R

Etymology

The genus name Alpinia was coined by Carl Linnaeus in honour of the Italian botanist Prospero Alpini, and the species epithet caerulea is derived from the Latin word caeruleus, meaning blue, which is a reference to the fruit colour.Шаблон:R

Vernacular names

This plant is known as Jun jun by the Kuku Yalanji people of coastal north east Queensland.Шаблон:R

Distribution and habitat

The native ginger is endemic to New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. The natural range is from the Gosford district north along the coast to the tip of Cape York Peninsula and the islands of the Torres Strait (see map of sightings in the External links section below).Шаблон:R It grows in coastal and sub-coastal rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, commonly beside waterways.Шаблон:R The altitudinal range is from sea level to around Шаблон:Cvt.Шаблон:R

It is thought that the species might also occur in New Guinea.Шаблон:R

Ecology

Alpinia caerulea is one of the host species for larvae of the banded demon butterfly (Notocrypta waigensis).Шаблон:R The fruits are popular with a variety of birds including brush turkeys (Alectura lathami),Шаблон:R southern cassowaries (Casuarius casuarius), crimson rosellas (Platycercus elegans), king parrots (Alisterus scapularis), regent bowerbirds (Sericulus chrysocephalus), satin bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus), and Lewin's honeyeaters (Meliphaga lewinii).Шаблон:R Some Australian rodents also eat the fruit, including giant white-tailed rats (Uromys caudimaculatus) and fawn-footed melomys (Melomys cervinipes).Шаблон:R

Conservation

This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern.Шаблон:R Шаблон:As of, it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Uses

For the Kuku Yalanji people of far northern Queensland, this plant had many uses – the fruit and rhizomes were eaten, the leaves were used to cover their shelters and to wrap meat when cooking in earth ovens.Шаблон:R

New shoots are also edible, and have a mild ginger flavour.Шаблон:R The white flesh surrounding the seeds is crisp and acidic,Шаблон:R and was chewed by indigenous Australians while undertaking long walks to activate the salivary glands and moisten the mouth, with the seeds usually being discarded.Шаблон:R

Gallery

• Inflorescence

  Inflorescence

• Fruit

  Fruit

• Habit

  Habit

• Foliage and fruit

  Foliage and fruit

See also

• List of Australian herbs and spices

External links

• Шаблон:Wikispecies-inline
• Шаблон:Commons category-inline
• View a map of historical sightings of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium
• View observations of this species on iNaturalist
• View images of this species on Flickriver