Peacock ginger

IN early June, when wild flowering herbs are both rare and welcome, the Peacock ginger reveals its floral beauty. Its dark, rounded foliage with the hues of a peacock's feather appear soon after the first summer showers. It is perhaps for this reason that gardeners often call this herb as the "Resurrection Lily". A variant with bronze coloured leaves, the bronze peacock is also popular.

A native of Malaysia, the Peacock ginger belongs to the genus Kaempferia. This small genus was so named by Linnaeus to honour Englbert Kaempfer, German physician and 17th Century botanist. K. pulchra is one of the prominent species of the genus.

The Peacock ginger is now widely grown as ornamental ground cover. It spreads rapidly. The plant has a short rhizome and tuberous roots. The leaves and rhizomes are sweetly scented. The inflorescence is produced centrally, i.e., amidst the leaves. It produces one or two flowers every day for several months. The flowers are very attractive due to their deep lilac colour. They are short-lived and last only for a day. The flower consists of four lobes, surrounded by thin, narrow corolla lobes. The two staminodes and labellum divided almost to the base form the most attractive part of the flower.

These can be successfully grown in the garden as ornamental plants. The seed rhizomes are collected during January and March. They must be stored in good condition after harvesting. Excess moisture may damage the rhizome. The Peacock ginger can be planted in May soon after the first pre-monsoon shower.

The plant can be propagated by division of the rhizome. It is done by cutting and separating them into pieces containing two or more buds. A healthy seed-rhizome is an essential prerequisite for rapid growth and flowering.

The plant is relatively free from pests and disease.

M. SABU

A. K. PRADEEP

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