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Alpinia purpurata

(Vieill.) K.Schum. (1904)

This name is accepted

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

‘awapuhi ‘ula‘ula [awapuhi ulaula], pink ginger, red ginger

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Leafy shoots 1–5 m tall (up to 7 m tall in cultivated forms).

Stems: Rhizomes fibrous, creeping.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, distichous, oriented transverse to the rhizome. Blades oblong, 30–70 (–80) cm long, 10–22 cm wide. Apex short-acuminate. Base attenuate. Surfaces glabrous, ligules unequally 2–lobed, (5–)7–20 mm long, pubescent, sheaths pubescent at apex and along margins. Margins entire. Veins pinnate, parallel. Sessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences terminal on leafy shoots, unbranched (occasionally branched in cultivated forms), basically cylindrical, 15–30 cm long, usually elongating considerably with age, primary bracts usually red (occasionally pink or white in cultivated forms), ovate or broadly obovate, 2.5–3 cm long at anthesis, elongating to 4–6 cm long in fruit, apex mucronate, persistent, rachis glabrous, glabrate, or rarely pubescent, cincinni 1–2(–5)–flowered, bracteoles reddish, tubular, 6–10 mm long, with a subapical spur; floral tube 2–2.7 mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect), fragrant, zygomorphic, pedicellate. Calyx 3-lobed, the lobes unequal; reddish, 1.7–2(–2.7) cm long, glabrous, each lobe with a subapical spur. Corolla adnate with the stamens into a floral tube, distally 3-lobed; corolla lobes unequal, white, exserted just beyond primary bracts. 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 white, with 2 distinct lateral lobes and a central segment that is distinctly 3-lobed or subentire, about as long as corolla lobes; stamen 6–7 mm long; ovary 3–4 mm long, glabrous. 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 nearly globose; 2–3 cm in diameter. Seeds ca. 3 mm long; angled.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

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 Only found in cultivation
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Only found in cultivation
Hawai'i Only found in cultivation

Dispersal Agents


Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Notes

  • Description digitized by Tim
  • First naturalized collection made in 1932 (St. John 12798, 12767, BISH).
  • Native to New Caledonia, New Hebrides, British Solomon Islands Protectorate, Bismarck Archipelago, and Bougainville, widely cultivated and naturalized, in the tropics; in Hawai'i introduced as an ornamental as early as 1928, now naturalized at least on Kaua'i and Moloka'i. This species is quite variable, especially with respect to inflorescence size, branching, and pubescence, and to color and size of the primary bracts. Normally the flower extends beyond the primary bract, but in cultivated forms the bract may exceed the flowers. Occasionally the cincinni in the lower part of the inflorescence are replaced by short, leafy shoots that develop into plantlets.

Bibliography

Name Published In: H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 46: 323 (1904)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1618 (K, Mo); Staples & Herbst 2005:759 (KEY), 761 (DESCR); St. John 12798 BISH (Mo†, 1932)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Alpinia purpurata Honolulu; Judd St., residence of A. F. Judd Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1936-07-06
2 Alpinia purpurata [Hawaiian Islands; U.S.A.; O`ahu; Hawai`i; Honolulu] Preserved_Specimen Turner, M. 7 Oahu BISH
3 Alpinia purpurata Kalihi; Bishop Museum grounds, near Pauahi Hall Preserved_Specimen Leu, M. 50 Oahu BISH 1987-11-30
4 Alpinia purpurata Honolulu; Judd St., residence of A. F. Judd Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1936-07-06
5 Alpinia purpurata Honolulu; Judd St., residence of A. F. Judd Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1936-07-06
6 Alpinia purpurata Honolulu; Judd St., residence of A. F. Judd Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1936-07-06
7 Alpinia purpurata SW corner of intersection of Kanoelehua Ave and Puainako St., directly acros Pizza Hut Growing in field. Preserved_Specimen Herb to 2 m. Lvs green above, lighter yellow-green below. Bracts bright red-purple, bracteole red, ovary pink, sepals tinged reddish, corolla tube and lobes white. Plantlets formed in the axils of the former bracts. Teraoka, W. 32 Hawaii BISH 1979-06-05
8 Alpinia purpurata Hauula Growing in loamy soil. Preserved_Specimen Hai, N. 9 Oahu BISH 1975-04-02
9 Alpinia purpurata Laie Growing in sandy soil. Preserved_Specimen Cultivated plant, flower red. Kinikini, T.V. 36 Oahu BISH 1967-04-08
10 Alpinia purpurata Laie; BYU campus Common in silty loam. Preserved_Specimen Ornamental herb to 10 ft. tall, long leaves, spike of red bracts, small white flower. Afualo, D. 92 Oahu BISH 1975-03-17
11 Alpinia purpurata Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Stokes, J.F.G. Oahu BISH
12 Alpinia purpurata Honolulu; 1732 Beckley St Preserved_Specimen Brown, F.B.H. 1474 Oahu BISH 1928-02-28
13 Alpinia purpurata unknown Preserved_Specimen BISH
14 Alpinia purpurata Honolulu, 1930 Ualakaa St Cultivated; growing in wet places. Preserved_Specimen 3-6 ft. high; small white flower. Wilder, G.P. 1235 Oahu BISH 1934-01-05
15 Alpinia purpurata Punaula Valley Abundantly established in bottom of valley. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 12798 Molokai BISH 1932-12-28
16 Alpinia purpurata Laie; Church College of Hawaii Growing in garden. Preserved_Specimen Ornamental herb. Flower holds lots of liquid. Green, J.M. 17 Oahu BISH 1967-03-27
17 Alpinia purpurata Laie; Growing on campus of Brigham Young University near Married Student Housing Growing as ornamental. Preserved_Specimen Fragrant flowers. Gilmore, M.A. 10024 Oahu BISH 1977-03-31
18 Alpinia purpurata Laie; Church College of Hawaii, behind men's dorm I Growing with ornamentals and lawn grass. Preserved_Specimen Ca. 3 ft. tall, red bracts, small white flowers. Brandow, C.T. 44 Oahu BISH 1967-05-11
19 Alpinia purpurata Honolulu; Univ. of Hawaii-Manoa campus, St. John Hall In full sun. Preserved_Specimen A plant up to 2 m. tall, spreading by rhizomes. Upper inflorescence bracts white with a light pink tinge. Lower inflroescence bracts rose pink. Flower white; odorless (afternoon). Lau, J. 2067 Oahu BISH 1986-02-25
20 Alpinia purpurata Laie; BYU campus Growing in sandy, clay soil. Preserved_Specimen Aromatic plant, 4-15 ft. leafy stems, stamen with slender or broad stalk. Utai, M. 8 Oahu BISH 1975-03-01
21 Alpinia purpurata Laie; BYU campus, near Married Student Housing Common ornamental. Preserved_Specimen Long ___, red flower. Gilmore, M.A. 10024 Oahu BISH 1977-03-31
22 Alpinia purpurata University of Hawaii campus, Engineering In cultivation. Preserved_Specimen Herb 1 m. high. Woolford, H.A. 292 Oahu BISH 1956-01-23
23 Alpinia purpurata Flower garden below LDS Temple Growing in loamy soil in flower garden. Preserved_Specimen Ground cover. White, P.T. 15 Oahu BISH 1977-04-12
24 Alpinia purpurata Hanalei District. Kalihi Wai River valley, at ca. 1/2 mi SW of Hwy 56 near first waterfall Old secondary vegetation along flood plain with Hibiscus tiliaceus, Psidium, and Syzygium. Preserved_Specimen Rhizomatous herb, stems 2-3 m. tall, lvs distichous, faintly aromatic. Inflorescence erect, terminal, bracts dark red, corollas not seen, numerous plantlets produced in bract axils. Lorence, D.H. 5150 Kauai BISH 1987-04-05
25 Alpinia purpurata Laie; BYU campus, between men's dorms I & II, lined along dorm Growing in loamy soil. Preserved_Specimen Ornamental, red flower. Ayakawa, G.T. 17 Oahu BISH 1967-04-07
26 Alpinia purpurata Puna, Panau Nui Growing around house. Preserved_Specimen Perennial herb; flowers red. Fagerlund, G.O. 1101 Hawaii BISH 1945-08-02
27 Alpinia purpurata Kailua; 209 Oneawa Kai Place Common cultivated red ginger, vigorous plants behind house in partial shade. Preserved_Specimen Stems 5-7' tall, infl. terminal on leafy shoot, bracts carmine red, flws white; vegetative offshoots arise in axils of lower-most infl. bracts. Staples, G.W. 1038 Oahu BISH 1996-01-24
28 Alpinia purpurata Laie Scattered. Preserved_Specimen Ornamental. Kwok, K.T.W. 15 Oahu BISH 1967-03-15
29 Alpinia purpurata Laie; Naniloa Loop Moist soil. Preserved_Specimen Large perennial herb, 4-15 ft. high, red bracts, white minute flowers. Mackelprang, J. 260 Oahu BISH 1977-04-01
30 Alpinia purpurata Laie; BYU campus Growing in loamy soil. Preserved_Specimen 4-15 ft. high; leafy stems; flower spike ca. 1 ft. long, consists of numerous red bracts; flowers white. Lee, P. 50 Oahu BISH 1975-04-12
31 Alpinia purpurata East Maui, Pua o entabeni, HC 1 370 Hana Hwy, Haiku Preserved_Specimen Perennial herb to 1.2m; flowers red. Annable, C.R. 3154 Maui BISH 1996-11-22
32 Alpinia purpurata Laie Preserved_Specimen Leaves long, straight, narrow, pointed at tip; flower in a cup form, color light pink. Ernestburg, E. 35 Oahu BISH 1977-04-12
33 Alpinia purpurata [Hawaiian Islands; U.S.A.; O`ahu; Hawai`i; Honolulu] Preserved_Specimen Ca. 2 ft. high; corolla white, bracts red, showy. Brown, F.B.H. 1277 Oahu BISH 1925-11-20
34 Alpinia purpurata Laie; BYU campus Preserved_Specimen Vea, S. 10465 Oahu BISH 1977-03-26
35 Alpinia purpurata Molokai Community College farm; in double 50' rows Preserved_Specimen Plant 8' tall; upright; infl a single terminal upright spike; bracts red; seeds dark brown & shiny. In prolific bloom. Evans, M. 49 Molokai BISH 1990-07-06
36 Alpinia purpurata Honolulu; King Street Preserved_Specimen 3 ft. high. Grant, M.L. 7364 Oahu BISH 1934-09-16
37 Alpinia purpurata unknown Preserved_Specimen BISH
38 Alpinia purpurata unknown Preserved_Specimen BISH
39 Alpinia purpurata Cultivated at 2365 Oahu Ave Preserved_Specimen 6 ft. tall; flowers white. St.John, H. 10510 Oahu BISH 1930-04-27
40 Alpinia purpurata Honolulu; Cultivated at 2365 Oahu Ave Preserved_Specimen 6 ft. tall, flower white. St.John, H. 10510 Oahu BISH 1930-04-27
41 Alpinia purpurata Mapulehu Valley floor Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 12767 Molokai BISH 1932-12-28
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