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Useful Tropical Plants

Renealmia thyrsoidea

(Ruiz & Pav.) Poepp. & Endl.

Zingiberaceae

+ Synonyms

Alpinia silvicola Britton

Alpinia thyrsoidea (Ruiz & Pav.) Steud.

Amomum thyrsoideum Ruiz & Pav.

Ethanium thyrsodeum (Ruiz & Pav.) Kuntze

Renealmia cardenasii Rusby

Renealmia geostachys K.Schum.

Renealmia platycolea K.Schum.

Renealmia silvicola (Britton) Steyerm. & Agostini

Renealmia uleana Loes.

Common Name:

Renealmia thyrsoidea
Inflorescence and developing fruit
Photograph by: Rodolfo Vásquez
Creative Commons License
Renealmia thyrsoidea Renealmia thyrsoidea Renealmia thyrsoidea Renealmia thyrsoidea Renealmia thyrsoidea

General Information

Renealmia thyrsoidea is a herbaceous perennial plant producing clumps of erect stems 0.8 - 5 metres tall from rhizomes that can be 10 - 30mm thick[
850
Title
Renealmia (Zingiberaceae-Zingiberoideae), Costoideae (Additions) (Zingiberaceae).
Publication
Flora Neotropica 18: 1 - 218
Author
Maas P.J.M.
Publisher
New York Botanical Garden; New York.
Year
1977
ISBN
 
Description
A monograph of the genus Renealmia in the American Tropics.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of ink. It is cultivated in home gardens in Ecuador[
521
Title
Useful Plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of Eastern Ecuador.
Publication
Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 15
Author
Vickers W.T.; Plowman T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History; USA.
Year
1984
ISBN
0015 - 0746
Description
Very terse, but it gives the uses of a large number of species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

850
Title
Renealmia (Zingiberaceae-Zingiberoideae), Costoideae (Additions) (Zingiberaceae).
Publication
Flora Neotropica 18: 1 - 218
Author
Maas P.J.M.
Publisher
New York Botanical Garden; New York.
Year
1977
ISBN
 
Description
A monograph of the genus Renealmia in the American Tropics.

Range

S. America - northern Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica; Caribbean - Trinidad.

Habitat

Inundated and non-inundated forests from the lowlands to the cloud forests at elevations up to 3,000 metres[
850
Title
Renealmia (Zingiberaceae-Zingiberoideae), Costoideae (Additions) (Zingiberaceae).
Publication
Flora Neotropica 18: 1 - 218
Author
Maas P.J.M.
Publisher
New York Botanical Garden; New York.
Year
1977
ISBN
 
Description
A monograph of the genus Renealmia in the American Tropics.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height3.00 m
PollinatorsHumming birds
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The stringy fibres inside the fruit are edible. They are boiled and eaten with manioc cakes[
521
Title
Useful Plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of Eastern Ecuador.
Publication
Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 15
Author
Vickers W.T.; Plowman T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History; USA.
Year
1984
ISBN
0015 - 0746
Description
Very terse, but it gives the uses of a large number of species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The flesh of the fruit is mixed with rice meal, or can be added to soups, where it imparts a pleasant flavour[
592
Title
Contributions to The Flora of Venezuela.
Publication
 
Author
Steyermark J.A. Et al
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
Year
1951 - 1957
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent flora, though made at a time when botanical knowledge of the areas was still very lacking.
,
850
Title
Renealmia (Zingiberaceae-Zingiberoideae), Costoideae (Additions) (Zingiberaceae).
Publication
Flora Neotropica 18: 1 - 218
Author
Maas P.J.M.
Publisher
New York Botanical Garden; New York.
Year
1977
ISBN
 
Description
A monograph of the genus Renealmia in the American Tropics.
]. It is considered to have nutritive properties[
592
Title
Contributions to The Flora of Venezuela.
Publication
 
Author
Steyermark J.A. Et al
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
Year
1951 - 1957
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent flora, though made at a time when botanical knowledge of the areas was still very lacking.
]. The globose to ellipsoid, black-purple fruit can be 15 - 45mm long and 7 - 25mm wide with a fleshy fruit wall around 3 - 7mm thick[
850
Title
Renealmia (Zingiberaceae-Zingiberoideae), Costoideae (Additions) (Zingiberaceae).
Publication
Flora Neotropica 18: 1 - 218
Author
Maas P.J.M.
Publisher
New York Botanical Garden; New York.
Year
1977
ISBN
 
Description
A monograph of the genus Renealmia in the American Tropics.
].

The most interesting application of the fruit is that the seeds, when toasted and mashed, are made into a cafe' type of beverage[
592
Title
Contributions to The Flora of Venezuela.
Publication
 
Author
Steyermark J.A. Et al
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
Year
1951 - 1957
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent flora, though made at a time when botanical knowledge of the areas was still very lacking.
].

Medicinal

It is believed that pains may be alleviated by applying a heated leaf to the place where pain is felt[
592
Title
Contributions to The Flora of Venezuela.
Publication
 
Author
Steyermark J.A. Et al
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
Year
1951 - 1957
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent flora, though made at a time when botanical knowledge of the areas was still very lacking.
].
The dried leaves are often placed over cuts or scratches to act as a sort of bandage or cover[
592
Title
Contributions to The Flora of Venezuela.
Publication
 
Author
Steyermark J.A. Et al
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
Year
1951 - 1957
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent flora, though made at a time when botanical knowledge of the areas was still very lacking.
].

The seeds, when toasted and mashed, are made into a coffee type of beverage which, when taken with coffee, are said to aid in childbirth and serve as a remedy for chills and colds[
592
Title
Contributions to The Flora of Venezuela.
Publication
 
Author
Steyermark J.A. Et al
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
Year
1951 - 1957
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent flora, though made at a time when botanical knowledge of the areas was still very lacking.
,
850
Title
Renealmia (Zingiberaceae-Zingiberoideae), Costoideae (Additions) (Zingiberaceae).
Publication
Flora Neotropica 18: 1 - 218
Author
Maas P.J.M.
Publisher
New York Botanical Garden; New York.
Year
1977
ISBN
 
Description
A monograph of the genus Renealmia in the American Tropics.
].

The plant is valued in treating snakebite by crushing the stem and drinking an infusion once a day to prevent swelling[
697
Title
Botanical Museum Leaflets Vol 29
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Harvard University; Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Year
1983
ISBN
 
Description
Some interesting notes on plant uses in tropical America. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Other Uses

The fruit, which has a thick, fleshy, purple-black flesh, is used to make an ink[
592
Title
Contributions to The Flora of Venezuela.
Publication
 
Author
Steyermark J.A. Et al
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
Year
1951 - 1957
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent flora, though made at a time when botanical knowledge of the areas was still very lacking.
,
850
Title
Renealmia (Zingiberaceae-Zingiberoideae), Costoideae (Additions) (Zingiberaceae).
Publication
Flora Neotropica 18: 1 - 218
Author
Maas P.J.M.
Publisher
New York Botanical Garden; New York.
Year
1977
ISBN
 
Description
A monograph of the genus Renealmia in the American Tropics.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-08. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Renealmia+thyrsoidea>

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