Cautleya gracilis

Cautleya gracilis (Sm.) Dandy, J. Bot. 70: 328 1932. (Syn: Cautleya gracilis var. gracilior (K.Schum.) Sanjappa; Cautleya gracilis var. robusta (K.Schum.) Sanjappa; Cautleya lutea (Royle) Royle ex Hook.f.; Cautleya lutea var. gracilior K.Schum.; Cautleya lutea var. robusta K.Schum.; Roscoea elatior Sm.; Roscoea gracilis Sm.; Roscoea lutea Royle);

Cautleya gracilis is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Zingiberaceae (the gingers). It is found in the Himalayas through to south China and Vietnam.^[1]

It is cultivated as an ornamental garden plant, hardy to a few degrees of frost.

What appear to be stems in Cautleya species are actually “pseudostems” formed by the tightly wrapped bases or sheaths of the leaves. In C. gracilis, the pseudostems are 25–80 cm (10–31 in) tall, with some purely sheathing leaves at the base. Other leaves also have blades, free from the pseudostem, 6–20 cm (2.4–7.9 in) long by 1.5–6 cm (0.6–2.4 in) wide. The inflorescence is a spike, with typically 2–10 loosely spaced flowers in C. gracilis var. gracilis and 15–20 more tightly spaced flowers making a compact “head” in C. gracilis var. robusta.^[3]

Each yellow or orange flower has a complex structure. A green bract surrounds the sepals, which are largely fused, forming a tubular calyx, split along one side, which is longer than the bract, being 1.5–2 cm (0.59–0.79 in) long. Inside the calyx, the three petals are fused at the base to form a tube which is longer than the calyx, so that it protrudes. At the end of the tube the petals form three lobes, 1.2–2 cm (0.5–0.8 in) long. Inside the petals are three petal-like structures (staminodes). The two side staminodes are upright. The lip or labellum is bent downwards and is divided into two at the tip. The single stamen has a two-pronged “spur” at base of the anther, formed by connective tissue.^[3]

The seed capsule is red when ripe, splitting to reveal the black seeds.

A small white aril is present in C. gracilis var. robusta but is absent in C. gracilis var. gracilis.^[3]

(From Wikipedia on 30.8.13)

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/091511_3472.jpg

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/091511_3469.jpg

Kalatope id al240911a: A very nice flower/fruit.. although the petals seem to be quite stiff
and I have never been able to see it budding

Location Kalatope, Chamba
Altitude 2200 mts
Habit herb
Habitat wild
Height 2 feet
Season September

It is Cautleya sp. probably C. gracilis.

Thanks …, I was in fact struck by the leaf resemblance to the Spiked Ginger Lily plant which is found aplenty here..

It was a learning for me as well.

Thank you for the wonderful pictures which was new to me.

Curiosity always drive us to keep going and we are moving together by helping each others, in that process no trouble at all.

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cautleya%20gracilis%20-4-.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cautleya%20gracilis%20-1-.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cautleya%20gracilis%20-2-.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cautleya%20gracilis%20-3-.JPG

Cautleya gracilis for validation:: NS June 04 : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (5).

Please validate if this one is Cautleya gracilis, was shot from Pelling in Sikkim in the month of May 2014.

Yes this should be C. gracilis

Thanks for confirmation …

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cautleya%20gracilis_DSR.JPG

Cautleya gracilis (Zingiberaceae) from Uttarakhand: Aug. 2014_DSR_5 : 4 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (1). Cautleya gracilis (J.E.Sm.) Dandy (Zingiberaceae) is a common herb in temperate and subalpine Uttarakhand.

Here photographed near Kalamuni, Munsyari, Uttarakhand.

I have also added list of Indian species of Cautleya in eFI database based on Karthikeyan et al. (1989)

Yes, you are right

Thanks … for showing this from Uttrakhand..

We shot this from Pelling, in Sikkim..

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/tn__DSC5675.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/tn__DSC5682.JPG

Araceae, Arecaceae and Zingiberaceae Fortnight:Zingiberaceae Cautleya gracilis : 5 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (2).

sharing picture of Cautleya gracilis

from Sikkim May 2014

Beautiful…!! at a “walking” distance from Pelling..

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/G-Cautleya%20gracilis.JPG

Araceae, Arecaceae and Zingiberaceae Fortnight: Zingiberaceae- Cautleya gracilis from Dhanolti-GSG (AUG12) : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (1).

Cautleya gracilis from Dhanolti, Mussoorie. Photo clicked last week (30.8.14) under heavy clouds. The plant was encountered mostly in epiphytic condition.