Beautiful cone-shaped Etlingera elatior inflorescence with tiny yellow flowers and petal-like red bracts.

Etlingera elatior (Torch Ginger)

Native to Borneo, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Sumatera, and Thailand, this is an herbaceous plant in the Zingiberaceae family. Torch ginger is appreciated for its ornamental value, boasting ovoid inflorescences composed of spirally overlapping flowers enveloped by showy crimson-pink bracts. The mature fruits of the plant are known for their sour taste and antihypertensive activity, while the ripe seeds and flower buds find their way into local cuisines. Photographed in Colombia.

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Beautiful cone-shaped Etlingera elatior inflorescence with a bee visiting the tiny yellow flowers and petal-like red bracts

Etlingera elatior inflorescence with tiny yellow flowers and petal-like pink-orange bracts

A Etlingera elatior flower stalk with red bracts and yellow flowers in sunlight

A new inflorescence with large red bracts and an inflorescence with flowers

Etlingera elatior inflorescence with tiny yellow flowers and petal-like red bracts

Cone-shaped Etlingera elatior inflorescence with tiny yellow flowers and petal-like red bracts in shade