Zingiberaceae FAMILY

Renealmia alpinia

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

3/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Renealmia alpinia is a herbaceous perennial plant that can grow from 1 - 6 metres tall from a rhizome that can be 10 - 30cm thick. The plant often forms large colonies[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ , 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 medicine, food flavouring and source of a dye.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeS. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean - Trinidad to Puerto Rico.

HabitatWet thickets or dense mixed forest, often forming large colonies, at elevations up to 1,200 metres in Guatemala[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ]. Secondary forest, inundated forest, swamps and stream banks; usually below 500 metres, occasionally ascending to 1,500 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. ].