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Useful Tropical Plants

Hedychium flavescens

Carey ex Roscoe

Zingiberaceae

+ Synonyms

Hedychium coronarium flavescens (Carey ex Roscoe) Baker

Hedychium coronarium subditum (Turrill) Naik

Hedychium emeiense Z.Y.Zhu

Hedychium panzhuum Z.Y.Zhu

Hedychium subditum Turrill

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Hedychium flavescens is a stout, aromatic, herbaceous perennial plant forming a cluster of stems growing 1 - 2.5 metres tall from thick, fleshy rhizomes[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. The rhizomes spread outwards to form a thick, dense carpet that excludes any other plant growth. The large oblong to lanceolate leaves are 20 - 50cm long by 4 - 10cm wide[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
]
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. The root is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations. The plant is often grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its beautiful, fragrant flowers[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.

Range

E. Asia - southern China (Sichuan), Nepal, northeast India, Myanmar, Vietnam

Habitat

Agricultural areas, rainforest, moist natural forests, planted forests, riparian zones, ruderal/disturbed land, urban areas and along roads; it can also become a serious weed in riverbanks, natural forests and forest edges[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height2.00 m
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Hedychium flavescens is a plant of the humid tropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 2,000 metres, occasionally to 2,300 metres[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
]. It prefers areas with a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 5,000mm, a mean annual temperature of 11 - 20°c. Being native to high elevations, it can also tolerate cooler temperatures if growing in fully humid climates, and is known to tolerate light to moderate frosts, though they may kill above-ground plant parts[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].
The plant prefers to grow in open, light-filled environments which are warm and moist, but it will readily colonise semi and full shade under forest canopies[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
]. Requires a well-drained soil of medium to high fertility[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].
Hedychium flavescens has been introduced to many locations around the world as an ornamental and subsequently escaped cultivation to become a weed of significant economic importance in countries with favourable moist and warm climates. It is considered a noxious weed in New Zealand, where it threatens native forests; in La Réunion it outcompetes native plants and forms dense stands in wet areas such as ravine sides, roadsides, native forest margins and disturbed forests, and in Hawaii it tends to be confined to forest edges but also impacts negatively on the ecosystem. Its spread and dispersal is facilitated by vegetative regeneration of its dense rhizomes, which allows it to cover large areas of land and prevent the re-growth and establishment of native species, endangering rare and specialized plant communities[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant has medicinal uses[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].

An essential oil obtained from the rhizome contains 43.6% beta-pinene. The oil has been shown to be an effective antimicrobial[
1536
Title
Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activities of the Essential Oils from the Rhizomes of Four Hedychium Species
Publication
Journal of Essential Oil Research Vol 19, Issue 1 pp 93-97 2007
Author
Baby Sabulal et al
Website
https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.2007.9699237
Publisher
 
Year
2007
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Other Uses

An extract of the root is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an emollient[
1243
Title
CosIng
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients.
].

The flowers are used in making leis in Hawaii[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].

Propagation

Seed - this is often not formed[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-12. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Hedychium+flavescens>

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