ຂີງດຳ / Black Ginger

Kaempferia parviflora is a tuberous or rhizomatous herb, 6–10 cm tall, with 2–8 spiral to alternately arranged leaves. Each plant produces numerous elliptic tuberous roots with purple or black flesh. The leaves are ovate or elliptic, 4–7 cm wide, 7–11 cm long, with acute or acuminate apices, cuneate bases, truncate or semi-cordate, entire margins, glabrous upper surfaces, hairy underneath. Petioles are about 15 cm long, green, and glabrous. The leaf sheaths are triangular, about 5 cm long, and membranous. The ligule is bi-lobed and triangular, about 2 cm long. The erect inflorescences arise from the center of a leafy shoot with peduncle 4–7 cm long. The flower is white with a purple center. Calyx tube: 1.8–2 cm long, glabrous, white. Floral tube: 3–3.2 cm long, apex with three lobes, linear, about 2.5 mm wide, 1.2 cm long, apex rounded. The lip is white with purple marks, broadly ovate, 0.8–1 cm wide, 1.2–1.6 cm long. The staminode is white, oblong, about 3 mm wide, 1–1.3 cm long and the anther is about 3.5 mm long and wrapped around the stigma. The ovary is about 2 mm long. The bracts are oblong, 6 mm wide, 1.8–2.5 cm long, with rounded apices. The bracteoles are linear, 1–2 mm wide, 0.6–1.2 cm long, with rounded apices.