Etlingera fulgens

Etlingera fulgens can be recognized by its shiny undulating leaves that are dark green in colour.^[1][2] When young, the undersides of its leaves are bright red in color, turning greenish on maturing. In older leaves, only the petiole and midrib are red.^[2] Petioles are 1.5–2.0 cm (0.6–0.8 in) in length. Rhizomes, 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter, occur just below the ground. The plant can grow up to 5 m (16 ft) tall. Crushed leaf sheaths emit a pleasant sour fragrance similar to that of Etlingera elatior. Inflorescences are raised above the ground and infructescences are globular in shape.

Leaves of E. fulgens displayed stronger ferrous ion-chelating ability than young leaves of Camellia sinensis.^[3] Chlorogenic acid found in leaves of E. fulgens was higher in content than Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle), the commercial source.^[4] Fruit and rhizome oils of E. fulgens are mainly aliphatic hydrocarbons with cyclododecane, dodecanol, and cyclotetradecane as main constituents.^[5] Oils of E. fulgens and E. elatior were very different in composition despite having very similar aroma. Oils of E. fulgens consist mainly of dodecyl acetate (21.6%), an ester, and pentadecanol (14.1%) and hexadecanol (3.60%), both long-chain alcohols.^[4]