Hedychium

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

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Read about Hedychium in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Hedychium (Greek, sweet snow; the large white flowers are sweet-scented). Zingiberaceae. Butterfly Lily. Ginger Lily. Garland Flower. Leafy, rhizomatous herbs allied to Kaempferia and ginger, grown under glass and in the open far South. Flowers in a terminal spike or thyrse; calyx tubular, more or less 3-lobed at the summit; corolla-tube slender, scarcely longer than the calyx, all half concealed by the usually showy bracts; upper corolla-segm. often enlarged and lip-like; stamen 1, with a 2-loculed anther surrounding the style; staminodia always present, usually well developed.—Thirty-eight tropical species, Asian and one Madagascar. From the ginger Hedychium differs in having broad, almost petal-like staminodia, which in Zingiber is minute or lacking. The best botanical account is by K. Schumann in Engler's Pflanzenreich, hft. 20 (1904). Hedychiums are strong-growing plants, very ornamental, both in foliage and in flower. They are essentially fall bloomers, although they may be made to bloom more or less continuously under glass. After blooming, gradually dry off the rhizomes, and let them rest for a time. Pot them up in spring or early summer, and give them rich soil and plenty of water and an occasional supply of liquid manure. The rhizomes may be divided every two or three years. They need an abundance of water. In fact, the pots may be set half their depth in water, and H. coronarium is often immersed until only the crown is emersed. The common white-flowered species is H. coronarium. This requires warmhouse treatment for best results, although it often flowers well when plunged in a warm, half- shady place in the open. The species do not stand frost, but they may be left out in the South if well protected. The flowers are very fragrant; in fact, their odor may be too heavy for a small room. H. bousigonianum, Pierre. A species from Cochin-China with sts. about 3 ft., with small bright green lvs. and about 18-25 pale yellow fls. and red anthers has been recently intro. It is scarcely known outside England. R.H. 1900:400.H. carneum, Carey. Fls. flesh-colored, scentless: height 3-4 ft.: lvs. over 1 ft. long, acuminate. E.Indies. B.M. 2637. L.B.C. 7:693. N.Taylor. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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