Alpinia galanga (Greater Galangal)

Native from southern China into Southeast Asia, this perennial herb in the ginger family grows from branching underground rhizomes and can reach about eleven feet tall. Fragrant yellow-white flowers gather in large clusters near the ends of leafy stems. The fruits are rounded to oval capsules containing two or three seeds. Its sharply flavored rhizome is used in Southeast Asian cooking, including curries and spice pastes, while young shoots and flowers are also eaten. Photographed in Colombia.