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Hedychium flavescens

Carey ex Roscoe (1824)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Zingiberales Family: Zingiberaceae Genus: Hedychium

‘awapuhi melemele [awapuhi melemele], cream ginger, yellow ginger, yellow ginger lily

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Coarse perennial herbs with leafy shoots 1.5–2 m tall (rarely taller in hawai'i).

Stems: Rhizomes creeping. pseudostems robust.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, distichous. Blades oblong to lanceolate, 20–45(–60) cm long, 5–10 (–12.5) cm wide. Apex acuminate. Upper surfaces glabrous; lower surfaces sparsely pubescent. Margins entire. Lateral veins parallel, diverging from prominent midrib. Sessile; ligules membranous, (1–) 2–4 cm long, entire, pubescent, sheaths glabrous. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences erect, basically ovoid, 15–20 cm long, ca. 8 cm wide, primary bracts green, membranous along margins, loosely imbricate, broadly ovate to elliptic, 5–8 cm long, ca. 3.5 cm wide, apex usually obtuse, pubescent to glabrate, rachis permanently concealed, cincinni usually 4–flowered. Flowers bisexual (perfect), fragrant, zygomorphic, pedicellate. Calyx 3-lobed, the lobes unequal, cylindrical, 4–5 cm long, pubescent or rarely glabrate. Corolla adnate with the stamens into a floral tube, distally 3-lobed; corolla lobes unequal, corolla yellow, the tube slender, 8–9 cm long, the lobes linear to linear–lanceolate,4–5 cm long. Stamens 5, in 2 whorls, only the posterior one of the inner whorl fertile, the other 2 members of inner whorl connate to form a highly variable, often conspicuous labellum; labellum often centrally flushed with dark yellow, broadly obovate, about as long as staminodes, (2.5–)3–4 cm wide, the base tapered into a claw; stamen yellow, about as long as labellum or slightly longer; lateral staminodes white, spatulate to lanceolate, (2.5–)4–6 cm long. Ovary inferior, with 2 variously developed apical nectary glands, 3-celled, sometimes incompletely so, rarely 1-celled, placentation axile, parietal (or essentially basal), or rarely free-central; ovules usually numerous; style filiform, often enveloped in a groove of the fertile stamen and embraced by the thecae; stigma various, often papillose and protruding beyond anther.

Fruit: Capsules unknown. Seeds oblong–globose; with laciniate arils.

Ploidy: 2n = 34; 50; 51

Habitat: Commonly cultivated and naturalized in moist areas.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Monandr. Pl. Scitam.: t. 50 (1824)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1622 (K, O, Mo, L, M, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:765 (KEY), 766 (DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Hedychium flavescens W Maui, 5.25 mi NNW of Wailuku, up Makamakaole stream above Hwy 33 Common in lowland forest. Preserved_Specimen To 8 ft. tall; flws light yellow-orange, pollen orange. Henrickson, J.S. 3864 Maui BISH 1969-07-13
2 Hedychium flavescens On Hauula mountain range. Close to Kahana Stream Along foot trail. Preserved_Specimen Herat, T. 208 Oahu BISH 1972-08-19
3 Hedychium flavescens Kokee State Park. In front of NASA tracking station along Kalalau Rd Growing in open areas along road. Metrosideros-Koa forest. Preserved_Specimen Tall shrub to 12 ft., lvs opposite; to 100 cm long; on single stock w/terminal racemic infl of yellow flws. Spence, G. 95 Kauai BISH 1972-11-06
4 Hedychium flavescens Ranae Ganske Property, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii Growing on very edge overhanging stream, along edge of property. Preserved_Specimen Herbaceous, flowers pale yellow to peach. Crago, L.M. 2005185 Maui BISH 2005-08-11
5 Hedychium flavescens East Maui, along Hana Hwy., about 4 mi from Hana town Growing in open areas with grasses and scattered Psidium. Preserved_Specimen A shrub up to 6 ft. tall; leaves in two rows; opposite; large to 100 cm long; flowers yellow; on a racemic head. Plant a single shoot from rhizome with infl at tip. Spence, G. 72 Maui BISH 1972-10-15
6 Hedychium flavescens Koolau Range, Fong's Plantation & Gardens; 47-285 Pulama Rd., Kaneohe with Schefflera and Schinus; lowland mesic forest Preserved_Specimen to 1.5 m; flowers cream-yellow Annable, C.R. 3045 Oahu BISH 1996-09-25
7 Hedychium flavescens Honolulu District, Lyon Arboretum Growing in damp gully. Preserved_Specimen Flw yellow, bracts green; leaves distichous; up to 7 ft. high. Herbst, D.R. 628 Oahu BISH 1967-09-26
8 Hedychium flavescens Palolo Valley Along stream. Preserved_Specimen Garber, D.W. 59 Oahu BISH 1919-11-09
9 Hedychium flavescens Kipapa Gulch, Koolau Mts Along streambed. Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. 651 Oahu BISH 1932-07-10
10 Hedychium flavescens Tantalus Moist, open places on border of forest. Preserved_Specimen Herb 2 m tall; flower yellow, fragrant. No fruit seen. Browne, H. 1 Oahu BISH 1920-10-26
11 Hedychium flavescens Honolulu: Tantalus Preserved_Specimen Gregory, H.E. Oahu BISH 1930-10-06
12 Hedychium flavescens Waimea District: Kokee State Park, at turnoff from Hwy 550 to Methodist Camp (13.3 mi N of Waimea); Kopakapa Ridge, from irrigation ditch trail Eucalyptus plantings and koa forest. Preserved_Specimen Rhizomatous herb, stems 1.5 m tall, lvs distichous. Infl terminal, tepals pale yellow, fading pale orange, stamen pale orange. Flws fragrant. Lorence, D.H. 5587 Kauai BISH 1987-10-04
13 Hedychium flavescens Waimea District. Kokee, camp 10 road, west of the southside Pihea trail trailhead. Ohia dominated foerst with alien plants encroaching, especially near roadside. Forming almost pure stands in depressions and along streams. Also common in camp 10 road ditch. Preserved_Specimen Large rhizomatous herb, about 2 meters tall and leaning in dense patches; leaves very distichous along dark colored stems; blades paler around the edges; flowers in terminal racemes, the inflo bracts containing a lot of water; flowers with cream colored corolla, the labellum with a darker patch near base. Sachet, M.-H. 935 Kauai BISH 2016-11-22
14 Hedychium flavescens Volcano Dump Preserved_Specimen Single large clump. Stamen salmon-pink. Petals very pale salmon; lvs closer ranked than other 3 common Hedychium. Stemmermann, R.L. 6822 Hawaii BISH 1984-10-21
15 Hedychium flavescens Waimea Arboretum Preserved_Specimen (Not on sheet) Oahu BISH
16 Hedychium flavescens Lyon Arboretum Preserved_Specimen Plant to ca. 7 ft.; flowers cream to warm yellow; filament and anther warm yellow. Kirchoff, B.K. 91269 Oahu BISH 1991-06-07
17 Hedychium flavescens Waimea Valley Preserved_Specimen Flower white (a faint tinge of yellow); labellum w/yellow center, 2-4 lobed; filament yellow. Judd Jr., A.F. 45 Hawaii BISH 1925-08-01
18 Hedychium flavescens 1 mi S of State Route 11 on Glenwood Road Preserved_Specimen Herb 1 m tall; petals pale yellow, dark yellow in the mouth. Miller, J.S. 7952 Hawaii BISH 1992-08-06
19 Hedychium flavescens Waiapaa Preserved_Specimen Yellow flowered. Munro, G.C. 151 Lanai BISH 1913-09-06
20 Hedychium flavescens Molokai Forest Reserve, Central Molokai. At first set of old CC cabins along road leading to Wailoku Valley Lookout Preserved_Specimen Shrub 10 ft. tall, single stem with leaves opposite, up to 100 cm long. Infl a raceme at tip of stem. Flws yellow. Spence, G. 110 Molokai BISH 1972-11-27
21 Hedychium flavescens Koolaupoko District: Waikane-Schofield Trail Lower rain forest. Preserved_Specimen Baker, R.J. 46 Oahu BISH 1932-10-16
22 Hedychium flavescens Lyon Arboretum Preserved_Specimen Plant to ca. 7 ft. Flowers cream to warm yellow, filament and anther warm yellow. Kirchoff, B.K. 91269 Oahu BISH 1991-06-07
23 Hedychium flavescens Honolulu: Tantalus Preserved_Specimen Gregory, H.E. Oahu BISH 1930-10-06
24 Hedychium flavescens Waiahole Ditch Trail Preserved_Specimen Meebold, A. Oahu BISH 1932-06-01
25 Hedychium flavescens Lyon Arboretum, Honolulu Growing in wet gully. Preserved_Specimen Herb, about 7 ft. tall, with yellow, fragrant flws, green bracts, and distichous leaves. Herbst, D.R. 628 Oahu BISH 1967-09-26
26 Hedychium flavescens Honolulu: Tantalus Preserved_Specimen Gregory, H.E. Oahu BISH 1930-10-06
27 Hedychium flavescens Waimea Arboretum Preserved_Specimen (Not on sheet) Oahu BISH
28 Hedychium flavescens Waiopae Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 78 Lanai BISH 1913-09-06
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