6/11/2016

MedicinalPlantsofIndia

ShellGinger

ative

Photo:ThingnamGirija

Commonname:ShellGinger,Lightgalangal,PinkporcelainlilyManipuri:KanghooBengali:Punnag
champa
Botanicalname:AlpiniazerumbetFamily:Zingiberaceae(Gingerfamily)
NativetoIndia,Shellgingerisatallanddramaticlandscapeorcontainerplant.Theleavesareabout2
ftlongand6inacrossandstrikinglyvariegatedwithirregularstripesofgreenandyellowinsome
varieties.Thehabitisuprightanddoesnotrequirestakingasdosomeothermembersoftheginger
family.Theflowersarewhite,tippedinpink,andborneinlongpendantarches.Insomevarieties,there
isnopinkinthetip.Theindividualflowersarereminiscentofsmallseashells,whichaccountsforthe
commonname"shellginger".Typically,shellgingergrowstoabout6ft,butitcangrowupto12fthigh.
Medicinaluses: InManipur,freshrhizomeisappliedtoringwormsandotherskindiseases.
Rhizomesarestimulant,carminativeusedinrheumatismandbronchialcatarrh.
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6/11/2016

MedicinalPlantsofIndia

Identificationcredit:R.K.NimaiSingh,ThangjamHindustani,PriyankaGupta

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