川郁金 chuan yu jin

Curcuma albicoma S. Q. Tong.

Plants 0.7--1.5 m tall. Rhizomes white or yellowish inside, fragrant; roots tuberous at tip. Petiole 12--30 cm; leaf blade elliptic or elliptic oblong, 35--85 × 13--21 cm, glabrous, base attenuate, oblique, apex caudate. Inflorescences terminal on pseudostems; peduncle 15--22 cm; spike cylindric, 14--20 × 5--8 cm; fertile bracts ovate, 3.5--4.5 × 2--3.2 cm, apex obtuse; coma bracts white, sometimes slightly purple-red apically, ovate or elliptic oblong, apex acute. Calyx clavate, ca. 1 cm, apex irregularly 3-toothed. Corolla tube pale yellow, funnelform, 2.5--3.2 cm; lobes yellowish, oblong, central one ca. 2 × 1.3 cm, apex mucronate. Lateral staminodes pale yellow, obovate, ca. 2 × 1.1 cm, apex 2-cleft. Labellum white with a yellow band at center, ovate, ca. 2 × 1.6 cm, apex convex, emarginate. Ovary villous. Capsule globose. Seeds small. Fl. Jul.

* Riversides; ca. 900 m. Sichuan, SW Yunnan (Jinghong Xian).