Alpinia caerulea
Plant Number: 33
Common Name: Native Ginger
Scientific Name: Alpinia caerulea
Derivation of name
Alpinia – named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist.
caerulea – Latin meaning 'blue' in reference to the colour of the fruit
Description
Clumping, multi-stemmed edible, perennial herb to 3 m
Dense, evergreen foliage, alternate leaves to 40 cm
White flowers to 10 mm
Blue fruit to 10 mm
Human uses
Indigenous Australians ate the stem, roots and fruit pulp, so much so that indigenous paths through some forests could be detected by the trail of left over seeds. Leaves were used for flavouring and to cook in.
Acknowledgment: Mangroves to Mountains, Gardening with Angus, Wild Food Plants of Australia, Bush Heritage
Photo Credit: Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney