I’ve always loved Alpinia zerumbet—better known as shell ginger or shell flower—because its pink buds look just like tiny sea shells. You might also hear it called pink porcelain lily, variegated ginger, or butterfly ginger. Different countries in East Asia have their own names for it, which shows how familiar and well-loved this plant is across the region.
Shell ginger is a tall, tropical perennial that can grow up to about 8–10 feet. Its flowers are funnel-shaped, sweet-smelling, and decorated with white or pink petals and a splash of yellow and red inside. The fruits are round and ribbed, and the whole plant has a very lush, elegant look.
In Taiwan, a few butterfly species actually depend on shell ginger as a food source—some feed on the leaves and some on the flower clusters—so planting it is a nice little way to support local wildlife.
People also use shell ginger in everyday life: its long leaves are perfect for wrapping zongzi, the classic rice dumplings, and its dried fruits sometimes end up in Sichuan hot pot as a medicinal spice called shāren.
我一直很喜歡艷山薑花，它也被稱為貝殼薑或貝殼花，因為它粉紅色的花苞看起來就像一個小小的貝殼。你可能還會聽到它被稱為粉紅瓷百合、斑葉薑或蝴蝶薑。東亞各國對它的稱呼各不相同，這足以說明這種植物在該地區有多麼常見和受歡迎。
艷山薑是一種高大的熱帶多年生植物，可長到約 8-10 英尺高。它的花朵呈漏斗狀，散發著甜美的香氣，花瓣呈白色或粉紅色，花心點綴著黃色和紅色。果實呈圓形，有羅紋，整株植物看起來非常茂盛優雅。
在台灣，一些蝴蝶物種實際上以艷山薑為食——有些以葉子為食，有些以花簇為食——因此種植艷山薑是支持當地野生動物的一種很好的小方法。
在日常生活中人們也會用到艷山薑：它長長的葉子非常適合用來包裹粽子，它的乾果有時會作為藥材沙仁出現在四川火鍋中。
Notes 筆記
- Alpinia zerumbet is most commonly called “shell ginger” or “shell flower” because its individual pink flowers—especially in bud—resemble sea shells. Other common English names include pink porcelain lily, variegated ginger, butterfly ginger, and light galangal. In Japan, Taiwan, and China it is also known by several different local names.
- It is a perennial ginger species native to East Asia. It grows in upright clumps 8 to 10 ft (2.4 to 3.0 m) tall in tropical climates.
- It bears funnel-shaped flowers. The flowers have white or pink perianths and yellow labella marked with red spots and stripes. There are three stamens, but only one is fertile. The pistil is single, and the flowers are fragrant. The fruit is globose with many striations.
- In Taiwan, about three to four butterfly species use shell ginger as a food source, including Notocrypta curvifascia, Notocrypta feisthamelii alinkara, Udaspes folus, and Jamides alecto. Notocrypta curvifascia and Udaspes folus feed on its leaves, while Jamides alecto feeds on its inflorescences.
- The plant’s long leaf blades are used for wrapping zongzi, a traditional Chinese dish made of rice stuffed with various fillings.
- The plant’s dried fruits are also used as one of the many medicinal spice ingredients in Sichuan hot pot soup base, where they are known in Sichuan Mandarin as shārén.
- 艷山薑最常見的名稱是「貝殼薑」或「貝殼花」。因為它的粉紅色小花——尤其是花苞——形似貝殼。其他常見的英文名稱包括粉紅瓷百合、斑葉薑、蝴蝶薑和淡黃薑。在日本、台灣和中國，它還有一些不同的地方名稱，別稱月桃、艷山紅、枸薑、良恙、良姜、良薑、大良薑、大草寇、灟水月桃、玉桃、虎子花（台灣）及熊竹蘭
- 它是一種原產於東亞的多年生薑科植物。在熱帶氣候下，它呈直立叢生狀，高度可達 8 至 10 英尺（2.4 至 3.0 公尺）。
- 它開漏斗狀的花。花被白色或粉紅色，唇瓣黃色，上面有紅色斑點和條紋。雄蕊三枚，但只有一枚能育。雌蕊單生，花芳香。果實球形，表面有許多條紋。
- 在台灣，大約有三到四種蝴蝶以帶殼薑作為食物來源，包括黑弄蝶、蘭嶼黑弄蝶、大白紋弄蝶 和 白波紋小灰蝶。 袖弄蝶和薑弄蝶以它的葉子為食，而淡青雅波灰蝶以它的花序為食。
- 這種植物的長葉片可以用來包粽子，粽子是一種傳統的中國食品，由米粉包裹各種餡料製成。早期台灣原住民平埔族中的西拉雅及馬卡道族人會用艷山姜的葉片包裹粽子。同時亦有於枕墊傳統糕粿及麻薯。中國四川、貴州等地也有類似食法，用艷山姜包裹帶有餡料的米粉漿團蒸製糍粑，也稱「葉兒粑」
- 這種植物的乾果也是四川火鍋湯底中眾多藥用香料成分之一，在四川話中被稱為「沙仁」。
- 台灣原住民排灣族及魯凱族採用艷山薑的莖狀葉鞘，於花期前採收曬乾後，提取纖維以編織成繩索、置物藍、盤、簍、涼蓆或草蓆等編織品，北方澳漁民則編織成大繩索以綁鐵錨。
- 艷山薑的根莖及果實入藥，中藥名為艷山薑， 味辛、澀，性溫，藥材主產於廣西、廣東、福建及貴州等地。根莖全年均可採收，切片曬乾或鮮用；果實於成熟時採收，烘乾。具行氣止痛、溫中燥濕、截虐等功效，主治胸腹脹滿、心腹冷痛、消化不良、嘔吐腹瀉、瘧疾等。台灣民間相傳艷山薑的根莖，具健脾暖胃、利尿、排汗、舒緩感冒症狀及治療消化性潰瘍等功效，主治腹脹、胃痛、嘔吐腹瀉及消化不良等，外用於敷治腫傷。
- 種子為芳香性健胃劑，名為土砂仁，可製成仁丹，具清熱解毒、燥濕祛寒、除痰、截虐、健脾暖胃功效，可治胸腹脹滿、心腹冷痛、消化不良、嘔吐腹瀉、疢食積滯等腸胃疾病有治療之效。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Alpinia zerumbet
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Alpinia zerumbet
- 維基百科: 豔山薑
Plants Posts 植物的帖子
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