White ginger lily - Hedychium coronarium

Common Name :	White ginger lily, White garland lily, Dolan champa.
Botanical Name :	Hedychium coronarium
Family :	Zingiberaceae
Bengali Name :	Dolon chapa (দোলনচাঁপা, দোলনচাপা, দোলন চাঁপা).
Photo Taken :	Nepal

The name of the flower in Bangladesh is Dolon chapa (দোলনচাঁপা), but it belongs to the ginger family Zingiberaceae. In English the flower is known as White ginger lily, Butterfly ginger lily, etc. Botanical name of the flower is Hedychium coronarium. This flowering plant is native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. Interestingly this flower is the national flower of Cuba.

White ginger lily (Hedychium coronarium) is a herbaceous perennial plant that can grow more than 6 feet in hight easily. The leafs are arranged alternately with petioles wrapping the stems. Leafs are broad (30-60 cm long) and narrow at tip. Leafs are like turmeric leaf but formed in the plant as ginger leafs. Leafs wither in plant instead of falling. This plant can be invasive as it can reproduce easily from the remaining roots (rhizomes) from underground.

Flowers are very snow white in color. Shape of the flower looks like a butterfly, that's why this is also known as Butterfly ginger lily. Flowers bloom in a cluster with very strong fragrance. Flowers are having four petals. In native place the blooming season is around the rainy season.


Photos of White ginger lily (Hedychium coronarium) were taken from the following location:
1. July 2015: Kathmandu, Nepal.


This article has written by Lonely Traveler,
for the blog http://icflora.blogspot.com/