Skip to main content

Kamijara (Alpinia malaccensis)

Kamijara (Alpinia malaccensis) is a species of plant in the Zingiberaceae, a shrub with long leaves, flowers and fruit in panicles, hairy, grows in the shade and produces galangal which has medicinal properties.

A. malaccensis grows firmly upright, 2-4 m high, green and parts smell aromatic when squeezed. The leaf blade is narrow lanceolate, 40-90 cm long, 7-20) cm wide and has a sharp tip. A linear bone in the center forms a trench with many veins sideways. The stalk is 3-7 cm long.

Dlium Kamijara (Alpinia malaccensis)


The margins are thickened and even. The upper surface is dark green and shiny, the lower surface is light green and has a tight velvet hair or at least the edges and undersides of the main leaf bones. Midrib hair tightly near the leaf blade. The ligules are flat, up to 1 cm long and hairy.

Inflorescences in the form of grains (racemose) on the shoots, erect or slightly curved, up to 35 cm long, while the buds are protected by two long sheaths of flowers. The panicle stalks are erect, stocky, green, densely haired, supporting up to 60 or more single flowers, some of the lowest may be in pairs of 2 blossoms.

Flowers have secondary protective leaves up to 2-4 cm long, white, some tipped purple-red. Fruit will have a size of 0.9x1.2 cm and have tight hair. The petals are 3.2 cm long, 3 taju, white and velvet hair on the outside. Crown with tubes up to 1.2 cm, white, top taju up to 4x2.5 cm, tight hair on the outside and 2 taju on the sides slightly smaller.

Labellum egg-shaped, wide, up to 6 cm long and the widest part up to more than 3 cm, the edges are wrinkled, one end forms a protruding edge, the inside is red with yellow spots, the edges are yellow with stripes. the line is red-purple.





The fruits are capsule-shaped and tends to be round, up to 3 cm in diameter, stiff hair and short and ripe red orange. Seeds have 3-4 corners and are 5 mm long. Kamijara is commonly found in primary forests and other wild areas which are cool and humid.

All parts smell harsh and contain some kind of essential oil. Rhizome is used as a vegetable or cooking spice, treating ulcers and wounds, mixed with betel nuts and chewed to filter the voice of the singer. The rind of the fruit squeezed in water is used to clean and scent clothes and hair.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Alpinia
Species: Alpinia malaccensis

Popular Posts

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such ...

Takenoshin Nakai swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum nakaianum) replaces V. magnificum and C. magnificum

NEWS - Researchers reported an erect herbaceous species distributed in the eastern part of Honshu Island, Vincetoxicum magnificum (Nakai) Kitag. based on Cynanchum magnificum Nakai, nomen nudum. Therefore, they named this species Takenoshin Nakai swallow-wort ( Vincetoxicum nakaianum K.Mochizuki & Ohi-Toma). Vincetoxicum Wolf (Asclepiadeae) is the third largest genus in the Asclepiadoideae consisting of about 260 species geographically extending from tropical Africa, Asia and Oceania to temperate regions of Eurasia. A total of 23 species are known from Japan, including 16 endemic species. Molecular phylogeny divides Japanese Vincetoxicum into four groups: the “Far Eastern” clade consisting of 11 endemic species and 4 more widespread species, 1 sister species to the “Far Eastern” clade, the “subtropical” clade consisting of 2 species and the “Vincetoxicum s. str.” clade consisting of 5 species. V. magnificum (Nakai) Kitag. (Japanese: tachi-gashiwa) is closely related to V. macro...

Sweetpotato bug (Physomerus grossipes)

Kutu ketela or sweetpotato bug ( Physomerus grossipes ) is an insect species in Coreidae, brown with black legs, adults growing about 2 cm long, oval shaped, segmented antennas, heavily veined membranes, metathoracic odor glands and enlarged rear tibia. P. grossipes generally live in Leguminosae and Convolvulaceae especially sweet potato ( Physomerus grossipes ), pink morning glory ( Ipomoea carnea ), purple beans ( Vigna unguiculata ), Asian pigeonwings ( Clitoria ternatea ) and common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris ). Sweetpotato bugs suck liquid from the stem which causes plants to wither and disrupt fruit production. P. grossipes places eggs at the bottom of the leaves or stems or grass around them. Females are very protective of their children, keeping eggs and nymphs from predators as the most famous example of maternal care in Coreidae. Even so, about 20% of eggs are eaten by predators such as ants and 13% are lost by parasitoid predation by chalcid wasps which lay eggs in egg...