Native to southern China, this perennial rhizomatous plant grows in clumps of leafy stems reaching up to 10 feet tall, producing inflorescences composed of tightly clustered bracts and flowers. The showy flowers emerge with a tubular corolla and an enlarged, petal-like labellum marked with maroon to reddish stripes against a creamy white or pale yellow background, contrasting with its narrow upper petal. The rhizome is the primary commercial part of the plant and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over a thousand years, particularly to treat digestive ailments, inflammation, and infections. In modern pharmacological studies, extracts have shown antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity. The rhizome also serves as a culinary spice known as lesser galangal, used for its pungent, peppery flavor with citrus notes, especially in Indonesian and Thai cuisine. Photographed in Florida.