.
Hedychium gracillimum A. S. Rao and D. M. Verma, Bull. Bot. Surv. India 11: 124 (1969 publ. 1971).
Accepted name Hedychium gracillimum A. S. Rao and D. M. Verma, Bull. Bot. Surv. India 11: 124 (1969 publ. 1971).
Synonyms Distribution Description References Comments When I got this material from Thailand I thought it was as Hedychium gomezianum but it was determined as Hedychium gracillimum by Tom Wood. Hedychium gracillimum is a small species with a rather restricted natural distribution in northeastern India; it seems to be rather uncommon in cultivation and is poorly documented in the literature.
Although it is a small plant, flowering at about 40 cm tall, Hedychium gracillimum seems to be fast growing and free-flowering. The flowers are rather small and open white, quickly ageing to a deep, golden yellow. The labellum is deeply split with narrow lobes that are scarcely wider than the lateral staminodes. The stamen is very long, projecting way beyond the labellum. The flowers have a very pleasant scent that carries on the air in the greenhouse.
Hedychium gracillimum is a plant only for the heated greenhouse or conservatory under light shade. It over-winters happily at 10ºC but kept warmer will flower well into the winter months.