Family: ZINGIBERACEAE
Genus: Etlingera
Species: corneri
Species Author: Mood & Ibrahim
Vernacular: Siam rose
Etlingera corneri is an erect herb with distinct stems that bear leaves and other (leafless) stems bearing clusters of flowers. The erect leaf bearing stems grow up to 4 m tall and produce leaves alternately arranged in two planes. The leaves have a short leaf stalk (petiole) that is up to 2.5 cm long and an oblong blade (54-60 x 12-14.3 cm) that is green above and green to purple on the underside. The stalks on which the inflorescence is produced can be up to 75 cm long and the flowers are arranged in a head like inflorescence (flower cluster) that is up to 8 cm long and 11 cm wide. Two rows of sterile bracts that are green with a red tip at the base of the inflorescence. The individual flowers are produced within long lasting fertile bracts that are red with white margins, which make up the main body of the inflorescence. Each flower has three petals that are white with a red tip, that are 1.8 cm long. Six stamens (pollen producing structures) are present in the flower, however, of these five are sterile and become fused to become a red, lip like structure that is 2.5 cm long and 1.4 cm wide. The fruit of this species is dry at maturity, three parted, and indehiscent meaning that it does not open to scatter the seeds. The newly formed fruit is white and becomes orange-red at maturity. The fruit is dry at maturity, is 3.4 x 1.5 cm and contains many seeds.
(Mood, J. and H. Ibrahim. 2000. A new species of Etlingera (Zingiberaceae) from peninsula Malaysia and southern Thailand. Nordic Journal of Botany 20(3): 279-283.)
(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai’i.)
Etlingera corneri is native to southern Thailand and the northern region of the Malay Peninsula. It is found in lowland, evergreen forests, and swampy areas at elevations below 200 m. The genus Etlingera contains 60 species and is distributed from China, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia to northern Australia and eastward into the Pacific.
(Mood, J. and H. Ibrahim. 2000. A new species of Etlingera (Zingiberaceae) from peninsula Malaysia and southern Thailand. Nordic Journal of Botany 20(3): 279-283.)
(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai’i.)
The genus Etlingera contains the species (Etlingera elatior), which is common in cultivation in Hawai‘i where it is known as Torch ginger or ‘Awapuhi ko‘oko‘o. This species is native to Malaysia and Indonesia and has either red or pink bracts surround the flowers. The inflorescences are popular in flower arrangements.
(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai’i.)
Etlingera corneri is named in honor of Edred John Henry Corner, who is the first recorded collector of this species. Edred Corner was a botanist and Assistant Director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens from 1929-1941 and collected Zingiberaceae extensively in Singapore.
(Mood, J. and H. Ibrahim. 2000. A new species of Etlingera (Zingiberaceae) from peninsula Malaysia and southern Thailand. Nordic Journal of Botany 20(3): 279-283.)
Etlingera is considered monophyletic meaning that the species that are currently recognized have evolved from a single common ancestor. Etlingera is recognized by several morphological characters including the presence of an involucre of sterile bracts surrounding the inflorescence, a peduncle or stalk supporting the inflorescence, and tubular bracteoles associated with the flowers. Members of the Ginger family (Zingiberaceae) can be recognized by the fusion of lateral sterile stamens to form a lip, the presence of nectar glands at the base of the style, and the presence of cells containing essential oils.
(Kress, W.J. 1990. The phylogeny and classification of the Zingiberales. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 77: 698-721.)
(Pederson, L.B. 2003. Phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily Alpinioideae (Zingiberaceae), particularly Etlingera Giseke, based on nuclear and plastid DNA. Plant Systematics and Evolution 245: 239-258.)
We currently have 1 herbarium specimens for Etlingera corneri in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.
- 044775 - collected by David H. Lorence in 2005
