Missouri Botanical 
Garden Bulletin 
Vol. X St. Louis, Mo., May, 1922 No. 5 
THE GINGER LILY 
The ginger lily (Hedychium Gardnerranum), likewise 
known as the butterfly lily and the garland lily, is an orna- 
mental plant belonging to the ginger family. The genus em- 
braces upwards of forty species indigenous to the tropics. 
They are notable for their showy, white, yellow, or red flow- 
ers appearing upon dense spikes terminating the canna-like 
growths. In general habit the hedychiums are strong-growing 
plants very ornamental in flower, fruit, and foliage. Despite 
the fact that some of the species were introduced over a hun- 
dred years ago, they are rarely seen except in tropical green- 
houses in large exotic collections such as are maintained at 
the Missouri Botanical Garden. 
Hedychium Gardnerianum was first introduced into Eng- 
land from India in 1823 by Dr. Wallich who discovered it in 
Nepal, along the valley of Katmandu. Later it was found 
by Dr. Joseph Hooker in the Sikkim Himalayas and Khasia 
Mountains at an elevation of 4,000 and 7,000 feet. Dr. Wal- 
lich, in his monograph of Hedychium, mentions this species 
as the queen of the genus if not of the entire order, owing 
to its general aspect, nature of foliage, exquisite elegance, 
and fragrance of flowers. Dr. Hooker was likewise impressed 
with the plant, and questioned whether there was an orchid 
under cultivation which exceeded it in any respect. This 
species was named in honor of Hon. Edward Gardner, who 
was a resident of Nepal and representative of the East India 
Company. He was instrumental in augmenting the plant 
collection of the Calcutta Botanic Gardens and through it 
the gardens and herbaria of Europe. 79) 
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