Hedychium coccineum

.

Hedychium coccineum J. E. Smith in A. Rees, The Cyclopaedia 17 : 5 (1811).

Accepted name
Hedychium coccineum J. E. Smith in A. Rees, The Cyclopaedia 17 : 5 (1811).

Synonyms
Hedychium angustifolium J. B. Ker Gawler, Botanical Register: 157 (1817).
Hedychium coccineum J. E. Smith in A. Rees var. angustifolium (J. B. Ker Gawler) J. G. Baker, Flora of British India 6: 234 (1892).
Hedychium longifolium W. Roscoe, Monandrian Plants of the Order Scitamineae t. 59 (1824-8).
Hedychium coccineum J. E. Smith in A. Rees var. longifolium (W. Roscoe) J. G. Baker, Flora of British India 6: 234 (1892).
Hedychium aurantiacum W. Roscoe, Monandrian Plants of the Order Scitamineae t. 61 (1825).
Hedychium roscoei N. Wallich ex W. Roscoe, Monandrian Plants of the Order Scitamineae: Hedychium verso (1824-8).
Hedychium coccineum J. E. Smith in A. Rees var. roscoei (N. Wallich ex W. Roscoe) J. G. Baker, Flora of British India 6: 234 (1892).
Hedychium coccineum J. E. Smith in A. Rees var. squarrosum F. Buchanan-Hamilton ex J. G. Baker, Flora of British India 6: 234 (1892).

Distribution Widely distributed from Nepal and northeastern India eastwards to Yunnan province in China and south to Bangladesh, Myanmar and northern Vietnam & Thailand.

Description Hedychium coccineum has distinctly glaucous foliage and flowers at up to 2 m tall. The main colour range is from yellow-orange to deep red but pink forms also occur. Four to six flowers are produced from each bract giving each inflorescence an extended flowering period. As well as differences in flower colour there seem to be differences in plant behaviour. There is one form in cultivation which is deciduous in winter even in the absence of frost. In the absence of frost most forms retain their foliage over winter.

References

Comments
Hedychium coccineum is frequently cultivated as an ornamental and its range may have been extended by human activity. Unlike some Hedychium in India Hedychium coccineum is not much used other than as an ornamental but some tribal peoples believe that a flower worn behind the ear is a powerful repellent against evil spirits and disease.
In 1993 Hedychium coccineum was awarded an AGM (RHS Award of Garden Merit) and given the hardiness rating H1 min. 2ºC. This award to the species indicates that the RHS suggest that the plant always requires the protection of a glasshouse and a minimum winter temperature of 2ºC. Certainly, to get Hedychium coccineum to flower reliably it should be grown under protection. The exception to this note of caution is, of course, Hedychium coccineum 'Tara', which is completely hardy, can be flowered in many UK gardens and has an AGM in its own right ... but then of course 'Tara' may not be Hedychium coccineum; go here.
Despite the award of an AGM to Hedychium coccineum there is no AGM-form as such. This is very unsatisfactory since, as can be seen from the images below, Hedychium coccineum is an extremely variable species and some forms are, frankly, more interesting than attractive.
Hedychium coccineum has extensive synonymy; some of the variants in leaf shape and flower colour have been treated as botanical varieties or even elevated to species in their own right. They are best lumped together making no attempt to distinguish botanical varieties.

Images

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last updated 01/10/2008

Accepted name	Hedychium coccineum J. E. Smith in A. Rees, The Cyclopaedia 17 : 5 (1811).
Synonyms	Hedychium angustifolium J. B. Ker Gawler, Botanical Register: 157 (1817). Hedychium coccineum J. E. Smith in A. Rees var. angustifolium (J. B. Ker Gawler) J. G. Baker, Flora of British India 6: 234 (1892). Hedychium longifolium W. Roscoe, Monandrian Plants of the Order Scitamineae t. 59 (1824-8). Hedychium coccineum J. E. Smith in A. Rees var. longifolium (W. Roscoe) J. G. Baker, Flora of British India 6: 234 (1892). Hedychium aurantiacum W. Roscoe, Monandrian Plants of the Order Scitamineae t. 61 (1825). Hedychium roscoei N. Wallich ex W. Roscoe, Monandrian Plants of the Order Scitamineae: Hedychium verso (1824-8). Hedychium coccineum J. E. Smith in A. Rees var. roscoei (N. Wallich ex W. Roscoe) J. G. Baker, Flora of British India 6: 234 (1892). Hedychium coccineum J. E. Smith in A. Rees var. squarrosum F. Buchanan-Hamilton ex J. G. Baker, Flora of British India 6: 234 (1892).
Distribution	Widely distributed from Nepal and northeastern India eastwards to Yunnan province in China and south to Bangladesh, Myanmar and northern Vietnam & Thailand.
Description	Hedychium coccineum has distinctly glaucous foliage and flowers at up to 2 m tall. The main colour range is from yellow-orange to deep red but pink forms also occur. Four to six flowers are produced from each bract giving each inflorescence an extended flowering period. As well as differences in flower colour there seem to be differences in plant behaviour. There is one form in cultivation which is deciduous in winter even in the absence of frost. In the absence of frost most forms retain their foliage over winter.
References
Comments	Hedychium coccineum is frequently cultivated as an ornamental and its range may have been extended by human activity. Unlike some Hedychium in India Hedychium coccineum is not much used other than as an ornamental but some tribal peoples believe that a flower worn behind the ear is a powerful repellent against evil spirits and disease. In 1993 Hedychium coccineum was awarded an AGM (RHS Award of Garden Merit) and given the hardiness rating H1 min. 2ºC. This award to the species indicates that the RHS suggest that the plant always requires the protection of a glasshouse and a minimum winter temperature of 2ºC. Certainly, to get Hedychium coccineum to flower reliably it should be grown under protection. The exception to this note of caution is, of course, Hedychium coccineum 'Tara', which is completely hardy, can be flowered in many UK gardens and has an AGM in its own right ... but then of course 'Tara' may not be Hedychium coccineum; go here. Despite the award of an AGM to Hedychium coccineum there is no AGM-form as such. This is very unsatisfactory since, as can be seen from the images below, Hedychium coccineum is an extremely variable species and some forms are, frankly, more interesting than attractive. Hedychium coccineum has extensive synonymy; some of the variants in leaf shape and flower colour have been treated as botanical varieties or even elevated to species in their own right. They are best lumped together making no attempt to distinguish botanical varieties. Images