beehive ginger

a rhizomatous perennial with erect, unbranched stems up to 2.5m tall arising from the fleshy rhizomes bearing narrow, lance-shaped leaves. Small, purple and white flowers with yellow spots are borne on stems up to 50cm tall and emerge from pale yellow-orange bracts that overlap to form a cylindrical, beehive-like structure; the bracts may darken with age to orange and red