Alpinia elwesii Turrill; A. shimadae Hayata var. kawakamii (Hayata) J. Jung Yang & J. C. Wang; Languas kawakamii (Hayata) Sasaki.

Pseudostems 1--2 m. Leaves subsessile; leaf sheath pubescent, marked with conspicuous, vertical striations; ligule 2-cleft, ca. 4 mm, abaxially pubescent; leaf blade linear-lanceolate, ca. 45 × 5.5 cm, adaxially glabrous, abaxially densely pubescent, base attenuate, apex caudate-acuminate. Racemes erect, 12--15 cm, stout, densely flowered; rachis villous; bracteoles obovate, ca. 1.2 cm × 7 mm, abaxially pubescent, margin ciliate. Pedicel ca. 1 mm, villous. Calyx ca. 1 cm, split on 1 side, abaxially densely pubescent, margin ciliate. Corolla white; tube ca. 1 cm, glabrous; lobes ciliate at margin, lateral ones elliptic-lanceolate, ca. 1.8 cm × 7 mm, narrower than central one. Lateral staminodes very short. Labellum ovate, ca. 2.2 × 1.6 cm, apex emarginate, white tinged with red. Stamen ca. 1.7 cm; filament ca. 7 mm. Ovary ovoid, ca. 2.5 mm in diam. Seeds black; aril membranous.

This species was united with Alpinia copelandii Ridley, from the Philippines, by Moo (in Li et al., Fl. Taiwan 5: 832--833. 1978) and in FRPS.

* Montane regions; 400--900 m. S Taiwan.