* ROSA de PORCELANA
Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Smith
The torch ginger or wax flower (Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Smith) is believed native to Sulawesi (Celebes) and Jawa, Indonesia (Java). The plant is now grown in many tropical locations both for the extravagant 'flowers' and for food. In Malaysia, it is called kantan. The peduncles (stems) of the inflorescence are chopped and added to laksa pots (various curries or soups made with rice noodles).
The spectacular inflorescence rises from the rhizome to a height of 60 centimeters (24 inches) to more than a meter (40 inches). The individual flowers will appear from between the pinecone-like scales above the waxy bracts. The leaves grow in ranks from separate stalks along the rhizome. The leafy stalks are evergreen and get 4.5 to 6 meters (15 to 20 feet) tall. Note that in the photograph, the inflorescence is just starting to expand and the leaves are dried having been subjected to cold temperatures and winds.
Torch ginger has had numerous generic designations through the years: Alpinia, Phaeomoria, Nicolaia, and Elettaria. The taxonomy was tangled and confusing. And it was believed the genus contained only a handful of species.
In the 1980s, Rosemary Margaret Smith of the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh tackled the gingers and determined this plant belonged to Etlingera, a genus first described in 1792 by Paul Dietrich Giseke. Since then, Axel Dalberg Poulsen of the National Herbarium of the Netherlands has dedicated his studies to these glorious plants. He has discovered there are at least 70 species, many not yet described, spread from India to the Pacific Islands.
Dr. Poulsen has a page of photographs of some of the beautiful Etlingera species he has been studying. To view his page, click on the link:
ANGOLA - antes 1975
Rádio Ecclesia ECAngola
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A Rosa-de-porcelana (Etlingera elatior) é uma espécie de planta perene herbácea. Os sinónimos botânicos incluem, Nicolaia elatior, Nicolaia speciosa, Phaeomeria speciosa, Alpinia elatior, Alpinia magnifica. Acredita-se que seja nativa de Sulawesi (Celebes) e Java, Indonésia.
A Rosa-de-porcelana (Torch Ginger, Ginger Flower, Red Ginger Lily, Torch Lily, Torch Ginger, Wild Ginger, Combrang, Bunga Siantan, Philippine Wax Flower, Xiang Bao Jiaing, Indonesian Tall Ginger, Boca de Dragón, Rose de Porcelaine, Porcelain Rose, Bastão-do-imperador, gengibre-tocha, flor-da-redenção), teve numerosas designações genéricas ao longo anos: Alpinia, Phaeomoria, Nicolaia, e Elettaria. A taxonomia era rebuscada e confusa. E acreditava-se que o género tinha apenas algumas espécies.
Photographed by: Dustin P. Ròebére
Credits: Torch ginger photographed in Puerto Rico
Other Information: Sony FD Mavica Digital
Nos anos 80 do século XX, Rosemary Margaret Smith, dos Jardins Botânicos Reais de Edimburgo, aprofundou os estudos sobre a Rosa-de-porcelana e determinou que a planta pertencia ao género Etlingera, descrito pela primeira vez em 1792 por Paul Dietrich Giseke. Desde então, Axel Dalberg Poulsen, do Herbário Nacional da Holanda, dedicou os seus estudos a estas plantas gloriosas. Descobriu que há pelo menos 70 espécies, muitas ainda não estão identificadas. Podem-se encontrar em muitas localidades tropicais, espalhando-se desde as Ilhas do pacifico até à África.
A inflorescência espectacular sai do rizoma entre uma altura de 60 centímetros a mais de um metro. As flores individuais aparecem do meio dos nós, parecidos com uma pinha, por cima das linhas de cera. As folhas crescem em filas de talos separados ao longo do rizoma. Os talos frondosos crescem entre 4.5 a 6 metros. Normalmente, quando a inflorescência começa a expandir-se, as folhas vão secando devido às mudanças de temperatura e ao vento.
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