Hedychium Explained

Hedychium is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, native to lightly wooded habitats in Asia. There are approximately 70-80 known species, native to India, Southeast Asia, and Madagascar. Some species have become widely naturalized in other lands, and considered invasive in some places.[1] [2]

The genus name Hedychium is derived from two ancient Greek words, meaning "sweet" and meaning "snow". This refers to the fragrant white flower of the type species H. coronarium.[3] Common names include garland flower, ginger lily, and kahili ginger.

Members of the genus Hedychium are rhizomatous perennials, commonly growing 120- tall. Some species are cultivated for their exotic foliage and fragrant spikes of flowers in shades of white, yellow and orange.[4] Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, of which 'Tara' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[5] [6] Though reasonably hardy down to -10C, it requires a sheltered position and a deep mulch in winter.

Species

Taxonomy and phylogeny

In 2000, Tom Wood et al. published the first phylogeny of the genus Hedychium represented by 29 taxa.[7]

Reproductive biology

Hedychium has multiple modes of reproduction: sexual, via rhizomes and via bulbils. Some species of Hedychium are reported to exhibit facultative vivipary.[8]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families . 2014-07-02 . 2022-11-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221126052627/https://wcsp.science.kew.org/namedetail.do?name_id=248084 . dead .
  2. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=114823 Flora of China, v 24 p 370, 姜花属 jiang hua shu, Hedychium J. König in Retzius, Observ. Bot. 3: 73--74. 1783.
  3. Book: Coombes, Allen J.. The A to Z of plant names. 2012. Timber Press. USA. 9781604691962. 312. registration.
  4. Book: RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. 2008. Dorling Kindersley. United Kingdom. 978-1405332965. 1136.
  5. Web site: RHS Plant Selector - Hedychium 'Tara'. 30 July 2020.
  6. Web site: AGM Plants - Ornamental . July 2017 . 46 . Royal Horticultural Society . 3 March 2018.
  7. Wood. T. H.. Whitten. W. M.. Williams. N. H.. Phylogeny of Hedychium and Related Genera (Zingiberaceae) Based on ITS Sequence Data. July 2000. Edinburgh Journal of Botany. en. 57. 2. 261–270. 10.1017/S0960428600000196. 1474-0036. free.
  8. Ashokan. Ajith. Gowda. Vinita. 2018-03-15. Describing terminologies and discussing records: More discoveries of facultative vivipary in the genus Hedychium J.Koenig (Zingiberaceae) from Northeast India. PhytoKeys. 96. 21–34. 10.3897/phytokeys.96.23461. 1314-2011. 5904510. 29670451 . free .