Beehive Ginger

Common name of a species of true ginger, with the botanical name Zingiber spectabile and native to Southeast Asia, where it is used as a medicinal herb. The plant's inflorescence is set atop a horn-like spike, with closely overlapping bracts, that can measure up to 30 centimeters tall and reminiscent of the form of a traditional bee skep, hence the common designation. The bracts can differ in colour, from white to yellow and orange, or even red, often darkening as the bracts mature and develop. The fragile, papery flowers, that emerge from the bracts when blooming, are small with purple petals and yellow spots. The leaves are long and oblong in shape. The plant can grow up to around 4.5 meters tall. In Thai, the plant of this species of ginger is known as kratheua philaat (กระทือพิลาส) and kratheua chang (กระทือช้าง), whereas its rhizome is also referred to as phlai leuang (ไพลเหลือง). See also POSTAGE STAMPS. 回