Zingiber zerumpet
popular name: shampoo ginger
Description: Leafy stems grow to about 4ft tall. Flower stems grow to about 12 inches tall. Flowers in summer during the monsoons and the cones last till mid autumn. Winter dormant . The stems and cones start drying off from mid autumn. Rhizomes remain underground through winter The cones make a good cut flower. The cone starts as an overall green colour and as it matures and starts flowering the bracts take on a red coloration. When flowering is over the entire cone becomes deep red.
Habitat: Southeast Asia
Ethnobotany: The summer flowering period also coincides with the monsoons in Asia. Water collects among the bracts which eventually turns into a viscous liquid is used as a shampoo in Asian countries.
