Torch Ginger / Etlingera eliator, Trinidad

This photo caught my eye in the early hours of this morning (12 April 2017), while I was searching for a colourful bird photo to post for today. Such a contrast to watching the snowflakes that are gently falling right now (12 April 2017). More snow and mixed precipitation forecast for three more days, too.

In the very early hours of this morning, I managed to post all the remaining photos that were taken on the island of Tobago, and now can finally start posting images taken on the much larger island of Trinidad. This shot of a gorgeous Torch Ginger was taken at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on our first day there, day 4 of our trip (excluding our day of travel to get from Alberta to Tobago, via Toronto). Before this trip, I had only ever seen and photographed this plant in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo.

"The torch ginger lily (Etlingera elatior) is a showy addition to the tropical landscape, as it is a large plant with a variety of unusual, colorful blooms. Torch ginger flowers may reach 17 to 20 feet in height. The torch ginger flowers may be red, pink or orange — blooming from colorful bracts. White blooms have been reported in some torch ginger plant information, but these are rare. Buds are edible, flavorful and used in Southeast Asian cooking." From the link below.

www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/torch-ginger-li...

"The flowers emerge between the bracts and are red with yellow margin. The bracts are tough and shiny and so perfect the flower looks artificial. Seeds are numerous. The flowers attract butterflies, bees and birds. The flower buds, bracts and seeds are used in Asian cuisine." From myjunglegarden.

myjunglegarden.com/2012/07/etlingera-elatior/#.WO5OT_nytaQ

"Now cultivated throughout the tropics, torch ginger is thought to be native to Indonesia, Malaysia and southern Thailand (via Flora of China), though other sites suggest a native distribution restricted to a few islands in Indonesia. Whatever its origin, widescale planting of Etlingera elatior has made torch ginger the hallmark species of this genus of approximately 70 species. That's a very loose approximation, because researcher Dr. Axel Dalberg Poulsen reports that Borneo alone contains 29 species...." Information taken, with thanks, from the UBC Botany Photo of the Day website for May 31, 2007.