Etlingera hemisphaerica

Native to Sumatra and Java in Indonesia, it is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial that grows from underground rhizomes. Its leafy shoots can reach about ten to twenty feet tall. The glossy, oblong leaves have wavy edges; young leaves are dark red to purple underneath. Cup-shaped flower heads develop on separate, leafless stalks about two feet tall, with only a few flowers opening at a time. It is grown as an ornamental. Its flower heads, fruits and leafy shoots are also used as food. Photographed in Minca, Colombia.