Alpinia nieuwenhuizii, also known as lalemas (in Iban) or terebak (in Sabah), is a species of flowering plant, a perennial tropical forest herb in the ginger family, that is endemic to Borneo.[1]
The species grows as a clump of leafy shoots to 2–3.5 m in height from branching rhizomes in the topsoil. The leaves grow from a pseudostem with a swollen base composed of the leaf sheaths. The inflorescence is a lax terminal panicle of white, red and cream flowers. The round, edible fruits are green or red when young, ripening yellow, containing small seeds in a whitish aril.[1]
The species is found in the lowland and mixed dipterocarp forest, as well as secondary forest, at elevations of up to 1,000 m, often along streams.[1]
The species is rarely cultivated, with the fruits eaten mainly by hunter-gatherers. The shoots may be eaten as a vegetable.[1]
Alpinia nieuwenhuizii, also known as lalemas (in Iban) or terebak (in Sabah), is a species of flowering plant, a perennial tropical forest herb in the ginger family, that is endemic to Borneo.
