Crepe Ginger is a tall plant with large (up to 20 cm long) pubescent, dark green leaves arranged on the stalk in a spiral.
In tropical regions it can grow to 10 ft (3.1 m) tall, while in cooler regions grows to about 6 ft (1.8 m) tall and it dies back in winter. The flowers appear in late summer and they are remarkable looking. They form on glossy red cone-shaped bracts, which stays red till the flowers are finished. From each cone 3 or 4 pure white crinkled flowers appear one at a time, hence the common name, Crepe Ginger. The attractive red cone-shaped bracts remain even after the flowers are gone. The fruits are red capsules and they contain black seeds with a white fleshy aril.
Wagner, W.L., D.R. Herbst and S.H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of (Hawai'i.)
(Stone, Benjamin. 1970. The flora of Guam.)
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