Shampoo ginger (Zingiber zerumbet)

Lempuyang or shampoo ginger (Zingiber zerumbet) is a plant species in Zingiberaceae, a spice with leafy stems, grows up to 1.2 m tall, grows wild in the shade, rhizomes are used as food flavoring and appetizers in various dishes, rhizome extract is used in treatment.

Z. zerumbet in the dry season undergoes a period of inactivity on the soil where the leafy stems wither and die, leaving pale brown rhizomes that crawl across the soil surface. The stems will grow back and produce flowers in the rainy season.

Leaves 10-12 fins with pointed tips, 15-20 cm long, grow in alternating arrangements on thin, erect stems to 1.2 m high. Flower heads grow between stems. Flowers are conical, have stick-shaped stalks, erect, separate from the stem and shorter.

The flower heads are green and turn red, 3-10 cm long with overlapping scales, covering the small yellowish white flowers poking out. Mature flowers gradually fill with an aromatic and slimy liquid.

The rhizomes, leaves, petioles and flowers have a fragrant aroma. Often used to enhance the taste of meat and fish when cooked. The rhizomes are sliced, dried, and ground into a powder. The gel on adult flower heads is used to soften and make hair shiny.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Zingiber
Species: Zingiber zerumbet
Subspecies: Zingiber zerumbet ssp. cochinchinense, Zingiber zerumbet ssp. zerumbet

Purwaceng (Pimpinella pruatjan)

Purwaceng or purwoceng or antanan gunung or Viagra of Java ( Pimpinella pruatjan or Pimpinella priatjan ) are small termas growing horizontally in Apiaceae, growing in villages on Dieng Plateau, Central Java Province, Indonesia, at 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level, the roots have medicinal properties for aphrodisiacs and are usually processed in powder form for a mixture of coffee or milk. P. pruatjan grows flat on the ground but does not propagate, small leaves are reddish green for 1-3 cm in diameter. This plant is only found in Java and grows in high mountain areas. A low population where industrial demand is very high results in increasingly scarce. Another place that is likely to become a purwaceng habitat is the Iyang Mountains and the Tengger Mountains in East Java Province. Efforts to multiply and cultivate have a big problem where these plants have difficulty producing seeds. In vitro propagation research through tissue cultivation has been carried out to overcome ...

Six new species forming the Sumbana species group in genus Nemophora Hoffmannsegg 1798 from Indonesia

NEWS - Sumbawa longhorn ( Nemophora sumbana Kozlov, sp. nov.), Timor longhorn ( Nemophora timorella Kozlov, sp. nov.), shining shade longhorn ( Nemophora umbronitidella Kozlov, sp. nov.), Wegner longhorn ( Nemophora wegneri Kozlov, sp. nov.), long brush longhorn ( Nemophora longipeniculella Kozlov, sp. nov.), and short brush longhorn ( Nemophora brevipeniculella Kozlov, sp. nov.) from the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. The Lesser Sunda Islands consist of two parallel, linear oceanic island chains, including Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Sawu, Timor, Alor, and Tanimbar. The oldest of these islands have been continuously occurring for 10–12 million years. This long period of isolation has allowed significant in situ diversification, making the Lesser Sundas home to many endemic species. This island chain may act as a two-way filter for organisms migrating between the world's two great biogeographic regions, Asia and Australia-Papua. The recognition of a striking cli...

New living fossil, Amethyst worm lizard (Amphisbaena amethysta), from Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil

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