Zingiber ultralimitale, a new species from Sulawesi 
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Lithophytic herb. Rhizome branching profusely, 5-8 mm across, brown externally, 
yellowish internally, tasting like Zingiber officinale but very bitter; roots with irregular 
ellipsoid tubers to 2.5 x 1.5 cm, white in cross-section, tasting like potato. Leafy shoots 
in a loose clump of up to five pseudostems, 2—4 cm apart, to 40-75 cm tall, with 9—12(— 
20) leaves. Base of leafy shoot to 9 mm diam., white to yellowish brown. Sheaths light 
green to mid-green, ± finely hairy especially near margin and apex. Ligule to 8 mm 
long, membranous, emarginate at least for half its length, with scattered, appressed 
hairs, pale green. Petiole 2-9 mm long, channelled above, appressed villose abaxially, 
especially in lower half. Lamina ovate to narrowly ovate, 9-18 x 3.5-5.5 cm, slightly 
plicate, yellowish green and glabrous above, pale green and sparsely appressed villose 
beneath especially near midrib, base rounded when fresh, cuneate to truncate when 
dried, apex long acuminate. Inflorescence erect, to 16 cm long, arising close to the base 
of leafy shoot, with 9-12 flowers, one flower open at a time in late morning. Peduncle 
3-6 cm long with 4 peduncular bracts, upper one to 4.5 cm long, being the longest, 
with scattered fine hairs. Spike to 10.5 cm long. Bracts laxly arranged at an angle 
to the rachis, c. 5 mm apart exposing the mid-green rachis, each subtending a single 
flower, lowermost bract c. 4.5 x 1.7 cm, translucent pale green, slightly darker towards 
apex, with visible cross-veins and hyaline margins, apex of lower bracts acuminate, 
Fig. 2. Pollen of Zingiber ultralimitale (acc. no 20092015 A). SEM made by Zou Pu. 
