AusTraits

Alpinia caerulea

Explore the data for this taxon in the portal

Family Zingiberaceae

Taxonomy: Alpinia caerulea (R.Br.) Benth.

Synonyms: 3 (APC 2026-07-30)
  • Alpinia coerulea Benth. (orthographic variant)
  • Hellenia caerulea R.Br. (nomenclatural synonym)
  • Hellenia coerulea Domin (nomenclatural synonym)

Distribution (APC): Qld, NSW

Profiles: APC, Flora of Australia, ALA, iNaturalist, NSW Flora, ATRP

Traits

Top source datasets: ABRS_1981 (5), Baker_2019 (2), Benwell_2024 (4), Butler_2004 (4), Cheesman_2020 (10), Chen_2017 (5), Clarke_2015 (3), Cooper_2013 (14), Fonseca_2000 (5), Grubb_1996 (2), Grubb_2008 (3), Jagdish_2020 (7), Kew_2019_1 (1), Metcalfe_2009 (17), NHNSW_2014_2 (4), NHNSW_2022 (3), NHNSW_2023 (10), NSWFRD_2014 (5), Sjostrom_2006 (4), Wells_2012 (45), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1), Wright_2000 (4), eFLOWER_Dun_2022 (16). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 84 traits from 176 records in 24 datasets.

Traits by category (click to expand). For categorical traits, the values are listed. For numerical traits, the mean and range are shown.

fire response
  • resprouting_capacity (categorical): fire_killed (2); resprouts (3) [sources: Baker_2019; Benwell_2024; Clarke_2015; Metcalfe_2009; NSWFRD_2014]
  • post_fire_recruitment (categorical): post_fire_recruitment (2); post_fire_recruitment_absent (1) [sources: Benwell_2024; Clarke_2015; NSWFRD_2014]
flower morphology
  • flower_colour (categorical): yellow_orange (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2]
  • sex_type (categorical): hermaphrodite (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
fruit morphology
  • fruit_length (numerical): 14 mm (10-18 mm) [sources: Cooper_2013]
  • fruit_width (numerical): 11.25 mm (10-15 mm) [sources: Chen_2017; Cooper_2013]
  • fruit_type (categorical): berry (2); capsule (3) [sources: Chen_2017; Cooper_2013; NHNSW_2023; Sjostrom_2006; Wright_2000]
  • fruit_fleshiness (categorical): dry (3); fleshy (3) [sources: Chen_2017; Cooper_2013; Metcalfe_2009; Sjostrom_2006; Wells_2012; Wright_2000]
  • fruit_dehiscence (categorical): dehiscent (4); indehiscent (2) [sources: Chen_2017; Cooper_2013; NHNSW_2023; Sjostrom_2006; Wells_2012; Wright_2000]
  • fruit_colour (categorical): blue (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
leaf morphology
  • leaf_area (numerical): 20142.22 mm2 (2696.66-33000 mm2) [sources: Cheesman_2020; Metcalfe_2009; Wells_2012]
  • leaflet_area (numerical): 7622.5 mm2 (2030.98-12971.7 mm2) [sources: Fonseca_2000; Wells_2012]
  • leaf_length (numerical): 400 mm (400-400 mm) [sources: ABRS_1981; NHNSW_2023]
  • leaf_width (numerical): 60.83 mm (30-100 mm) [sources: Fonseca_2000; ABRS_1981; NHNSW_2023]
  • leaf_dry_mass (numerical): 75.62 mg (75.62-75.62 mg) [sources: Wells_2012]
  • leaf_mass_per_area (numerical): 48.9 g/m2 (24.24-80.65 g/m2) [sources: Cheesman_2020; Fonseca_2000; Grubb_2008; Wells_2012]
  • leaf_dry_matter_content (numerical): 0.15 g/g (0.14-0.16 g/g) [sources: Wells_2012]
  • leaf_water_content_per_dry_mass (numerical): 4 g/g (4-4 g/g) [sources: Grubb_2008]
  • leaf_shape (categorical): lanceolate (1); oblong (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
  • leaf_margin (categorical): entire (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
  • leaf_compoundness (categorical): simple (2) [sources: ABRS_1981; NHNSW_2014_2]
  • leaf_phyllotaxis (categorical): alternate (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2]
  • plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
life history
  • photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c3 (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2009]
  • plant_growth_form (categorical): herb (9); shrub (1); tree (1) [sources: Butler_2004; Cheesman_2020; Cooper_2013; Fonseca_2000; Grubb_1996; Metcalfe_2009; NHNSW_2022; NSWFRD_2014; Wells_2012; Wenk_2022]
  • life_form (categorical): phanerophyte (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2009]
  • life_history (categorical): perennial (3) [sources: Metcalfe_2009; NHNSW_2022; Wenk_2023]
  • woodiness_detailed (categorical): herbaceous (2) [sources: NHNSW_2022; Wenk_2022]
  • nitrogen_fixing (categorical): non_nitrogen_fixer (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2009]
  • root_structure (categorical): mycorrhizal (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2009]
  • pollination_syndrome (categorical): bee (2) [sources: Metcalfe_2009; Wells_2012]
  • dispersal_syndrome (categorical): endozoochory (2) [sources: Butler_2004; Metcalfe_2009]
  • dispersers (categorical): birds (2); cassowaries (1); mammals (1); vertebrates (1) [sources: Butler_2004; Cooper_2013; Wells_2012]
  • flowering_time (categorical): nnnnnnnnyyyn (2); yyyynnnnyyyy (1) [sources: Cooper_2013; NHNSW_2014_2; NSWFRD_2014]
  • seedbank_location (categorical): soil_seedbank (2) [sources: Benwell_2024; Metcalfe_2009]
  • seedbank_longevity_class (categorical): short_persistent (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2009]
  • clonal_spread_mechanism (categorical): belowground_clonal (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2009]
  • bud_bank_location (categorical): basal_buds (2); none (1) [sources: Baker_2019; Clarke_2015; NSWFRD_2014]
nutrient and stable isotope
  • leaf_N_per_dry_mass (numerical): 23.24 mg/g (21.1-25.38 mg/g) [sources: Cheesman_2020; Grubb_2008]
  • leaf_delta13C (numerical): -36.32 {delta}[ppth] (-36.32--36.32 {delta}[ppth]) [sources: Cheesman_2020]
seed morphology
  • seed_dry_mass (numerical): 17.24 mg (15.99-19.72 mg) [sources: Grubb_1996; Jagdish_2020; Kew_2019_1]
  • seed_length (numerical): 3.5 mm (3-4 mm) [sources: Cooper_2013]
stem morphology
  • wood_density (numerical): 0.13 mg/mm3 (0.12-0.15 mg/mm3) [sources: Wells_2012]
whole plant morphology

Sources

dataset_idn_traitsn_recordsreference
Wells_20122545J. A. Wells. “Phylogeny and inter-relations of ecological traits and seed dispersal in rainforest plants: Exploring aspects of functional diversity in primary and secondary rainforests in Australia's Wet Tropics.”. PhD. University of Queensland, 2012.
Metcalfe_20091717E. Laliberte, J. A. Wells, F. DeClerck, D. J. Metcalfe, C. P. Catterall, C. Queiroz, I. Aubin, S. P. Bonser, Y. Ding, J. M. Fraterrigo, S. McNamara, J. W. Morgan, D. S. Merlos, P. A. Vesk, and M. M. Mayfield. “Land-use intensification reduces functional redundancy and response diversity in plant communities”. Ecology Letters 13.1 (2010), pp. 76-86. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01403.x.
eFLOWER_Dun_20221516L. Dun and H. Sauquet. “Unpublished: Floral traits for GAP taxa, University of New South Wales, Australia”. 2022.
Cooper_20131114W. Cooper and W. T. Cooper. Australian rainforest fruits. CSIRO Publishing, 2013, p. 272.
Cheesman_20201010A. W. Cheesman, H. Duff, K. Hill, L. A. Cernusak, and F. A. McInerney. “Isotopic and morphologic proxies for reconstructing light environment and leaf function of fossil leaves: A modern calibration in the Daintree Rainforest, Australia”. American Journal of Botany 107 (2020), pp. 1165-1176. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.1523.
NHNSW_2023910N. H. of New South Wales. The Plant Information Network System of The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Version 2.0.. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
Jagdish_202027A. Jagdish. “Unpublished data: Germination photoperiod sensitivity of Australian Plants, University of New South Wales”. 2020.
ABRS_198145B. A. Barlow, H. T. Clifford, A. S. George, and A. K. A. McCusker. Flora of Australia. 1981. url: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/flora/main/.
Chen_201755Chen, S.-C., Cornwell, W., Z. H.-X., Moles, and A. T. “Plants show more flesh in the tropics: Variation in fruit type along latitudinal and climatic gradients.”. Ecography 40 (2017), pp. 531-538. doi: abs/10.1111/ecog.02010.
Fonseca_200055C. R. Fonseca, J. M. Overton, B. Collins, and M. Westoby. “Shifts in trait-combinations along rainfall and phosphorus gradients”. Journal of Ecology 88 (2000), pp. 964-977. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2745.2000.00506.x.
NSWFRD_201455B. Kenny, C. Orscheg, E. Tasker, M. A. Gill, and R. Bradstock. NSW Flora Fire Response Database, v2.1. database. NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment, 2014.
Benwell_202444A. Benwell. “Fire responses of flora in a sclerophyll-rainforest vegetation complex in the Nightcap Range, North Coast, New South Wales”. Australian Journal of Botany 72.1 (2024). Ed. by D. Williams. ISSN: 1444-9862. doi: 10.1071/bt23049.
Butler_200444D. W. Butler, R. J. Green, D. Lamb, W. J. F. Mcdonald, and P. I. Forster. “Biogeography of seed-dispersal syndromes, life-forms and seed sizes among woody rain-forest plants in Australia's subtropics”. Journal of Biogeography 34.10 (2007), pp. 1736-1750. ISSN: 1365-2699. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2007.01734.x.
NHNSW_2014_244Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET: NSW flora online. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
Sjostrom_200644A. Sjöström and C. L. Gross. “Life-history characters and phylogeny are correlated with extinction risk in the Australian angiosperms”. Journal of Biogeography 33.2 (2006), pp. 271-290. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2005.01393.x.
Wright_200044I. J. Wright, H. T. Clifford, R. Kidson, M. L. Reed, B. L. Rice, and M. Westoby. “A survey of seed and seedling characters in 1744 Australian dicotyledon species: Cross-species trait correlations and correlated trait-shifts within evolutionary lineages”. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 69 (2000), pp. 521-547. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2000.tb01222.x.
Clarke_201533P. J. Clarke, M. J. Lawes, B. P. Murphy, J. Russell-Smith, C. E. Nano, R. Bradstock, N. J. Enright, J. B. Fontaine, C. R. Gosper, I. Radford, J. J. Midgley, and R. M. Gunton. “A synthesis of postfire recovery traits of woody plants in Australian ecosystems”. Science of The Total Environment 534 (2015), pp. 31-42. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.002.
Grubb_200833P. J. Grubb, R. V. Jackson, I. M. Barberis, J. N. Bee, D. A. Coomes, N. J. Dominy, M. A. S. D. L. Fuente, P. W. Lucas, D. J. Metcalfe, J. Svenning, I. M. Turner, and O. Vargas. “Monocot leaves are eaten less than dicot leaves in tropical lowland rain forests: Correlations with toughness and leaf presentation”. Annals of Botany 101 (2008), pp. 1379-1389. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcn047.
NHNSW_202233N. H. of New South Wales. The Plant Information Network System of The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Version 2.0.. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
Baker_201922A. Baker. “Unpublished data: Post-fire fire-response surveys on the NSW north coast, Southern Cross University”. 2019.
Grubb_199622P. J. Grubb and D. J. Metcalfe. “Adaptation and inertia in the Australian tropical lowland rain-forest flora: Contradictory trends in intergeneric and intrageneric comparisons of seed size in relation to light demand”. Functional Ecology 10 (1996), pp. 512-520. doi: 10.2307/2389944.
Wenk_202222E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant growth forms dataset”. 2022.
Kew_2019_111Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
Wenk_202311E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant life history dataset, University of New South Wales, Sydney”. 2023.