img

Hedychium coronarium

J.Koenig (1783)

This name is accepted

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

‘awapuhi ke‘oke‘o [awapuhi keokeo], butterfly lily, common ginger lily, garland flower, white ginger

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Coarse herbs with leafy shoots 1–2 m tall (rarely taller), rhizomes ca. 3 cm in diameter, internally pale and fragrant.

Stems: Rhizomes creeping. pseudostems robust.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, distichous, oriented parallel to rhizome. Blades oblong–lanceolate to lanceolate, 25–60 cm long, 4–11 cm wide. Apex acuminate. Upper surfaces glabrous; lower surfaces pubescent or glabrate. Margins entire. Lateral veins parallel, diverging from prominent midrib. Sessile or subsessile; ligules 1.7–3 cm long, 2–lobed. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences erect, basically ellipsoid, 7–20 cm long, 4–8 cm wide, primary bracts green, oblong, imbricate, 3.5– 5.5 cm long, 2–3 cm wide, rachis permanently concealed, cincinni 3–6–flowered, bracteoles tubular, ⅔ as long as primary bracts. Flowers bisexual (perfect), fragrant, zygomorphic, pedicellate. Calyx 3-lobed, the lobes unequal, cylindrical, 2.5–4 cm long, glabrous. Corolla adnate with the stamens into a floral tube, distally 3-lobed; corolla lobes unequal, corolla white, the tube slender, 7–9 cm long, the lobes linear, 3–5 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 showy, often centrally flushed with yellow or yellowish green, broadly obovate, abruptly clawed at base, as long as staminodes, 3.5–5.5 cm wide; stamen white, not exceeding labellum; lateral staminodes white, oblong-lanceolate, 3–5 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 oblong; ca. 3 cm long and 1.5 cm wide; the valves orange within. Seeds bright red; elongate; ca. 4 mm long and 2.5 mm wide; seeds with laciniate arils.

Ploidy: 2n = 18; 34; 51; 52; 54

Habitat: Cultivated and naturalized in mesic forest on O'ahu; Moloka'i; Lānaʻi; Maui; and Hawai'i.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

img

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Only found in cultivation
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Only found in cultivation
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: A.J.Retzius, Observ. Bot. 3: 73 (1783)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1622 (O, Mo, L, M, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:765 (KEY, DESCR); Faccenda, Arthur, et al. 2025:220 (remove L [no evidence of nat.])

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Hedychium coronarium On Hauula mountain range; close to Kahana Stream Along foot trail. Preserved_Specimen Flowers white and sweet scented. Common. Herat, T. 209 Oahu BISH 1972-08-19
2 Hedychium coronarium Wailau Valley Naturalized in wet lowland near sea in rainy region. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 8108 Molokai BISH 1928-08-03
3 Hedychium coronarium East Maui, Hana District, Along Hana Hwy, about 5 mi from Hana town Forms undergrowth with grasses and ferns to a closed Psidium forest. Preserved_Specimen A shrub up to 6 ft. tall. Leaves opposite; to 50 cm long. Infl borne in single stem from rhizome; a raceme. Flws white. Spence, G. 73 Maui BISH 1972-10-15
4 Hedychium coronarium Kiolakaa Keaa Homestead Addition, Kau Forest Reserve, along Haahao Spring Road Along road, under Eucalyptus plantings. Preserved_Specimen Flowers white and fragrant. Davis, J. 320 Hawaii BISH 1980-08-13
5 Hedychium coronarium Ranae Ganske Property, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii Growing at edge of road and auwai, where water spills over. Mixed in with Ipomoea alba, Diplazium esculentum, Syzygium cumini, Coix lachryma-jobi. Very wet. Preserved_Specimen Herbaceous, flowers very fragrant, white. Crago, L.M. 2005189 Maui BISH 2005-08-11
6 Hedychium coronarium Honolulu: Manoa Valley; Lyon Arboretum Growing in semi-shade. Preserved_Specimen Herb to 7 ft. ht. Flws white, fragrant. Bracts green. Lvs pubescent below. Nagata, K.M. 888 Oahu BISH 1971-09-28
7 Hedychium coronarium Along Tantalus Trail Open glades on slope. Preserved_Specimen MacDaniels, L.H. 68 Oahu BISH 1926-10-09
8 Hedychium coronarium Volcano Naturalized in clearings. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 31651 Hawaii BISH 1968-08-01
9 Hedychium coronarium Waimea Arboretum In full sun, in a dense thicket. Preserved_Specimen Herbs with stems 1-2 m long; flw white except for an area of cream at the proximal inner area of the labellum. Flws have heavy fragrance (afternoon). Lau, J. 2532 Oahu BISH 1986-06-16
10 Hedychium coronarium Koloa District: Kalaheo, house at 3581 Kaloke Rd Preserved_Specimen Rhizomatous perennial herb, stems 1.75 m tall, lvs green, distichous. Flws very sweetly fragrant (6 pm), corolla white w/yellow center, stamen yellow. Lorence, D.H. 7267 Kauai BISH 1992-08-28
11 Hedychium coronarium Wailau Valley Naturalized in wet lowland near sea in rainy region. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 8108 Molokai BISH 1928-08-03
12 Hedychium coronarium Ualakaa St., residence of G. P. Wilder Preserved_Specimen Flower white, center yellow. Wilder, G.P. Oahu BISH 1930-10-06
13 Hedychium coronarium Aihualama, upper Manoa Valley Preserved_Specimen Harris, J.A. 242264 Oahu BISH 1924-09-26
14 Hedychium coronarium Preserved_Specimen Cultivated BISH
15 Hedychium coronarium Waiapaa Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 150 Lanai BISH 1913-09-06
16 Hedychium coronarium Kalihi Valley Preserved_Specimen A green shrub having pur white flowers with a pleasing odor. Higuchi, G.T. 19 Oahu BISH 1971-04-14
17 Hedychium coronarium Kona District: Koolau Mts., Honolulu Forest Reserve, N of Honolulu. Manoa Cliffs Trail, near Hawaiian Telephone Co. facility Preserved_Specimen Herb, 1 m, forming large colonies; perianth white, the upper segment with a pale greenish-yellow center; flws spicy aromatic. Lammers, T.G. 5310 Oahu BISH 1983-08-27
Back to Top