Hedychium flavescens Carey ex Roscoe

Rhizomes thick, fleshy. stems stout, erect, leafy, (1)–2–3 m high. Leaves to 50 × 10 cm, lanceolate, sessile, tapered to acuminate apex, under surface with scattered fine soft white hairs; ligule 3.5–5 cm long, membranous, brownish, finely pubescent. Inflorescence c 15 × 10 cm, compact, cone-like, with broad overlapping fimbriate bracts. Flowers fragrant, off-white to cream, 3 per bract. Calyx 3.5–5 cm long, with scattered hairs except at centre and with a tuft of hairs at tip. Corolla-tube yellowish, c. 7 cm long; lobes narrow, c. 3.5 cm long, yellow-green. Lateral staminodia white to cream, c. 4 cm long, oblong-lanceolate. Labellum white to cream, often with yellow patch near base, c. 4 × 3cm, bilobed at apex, staminal-filament white to cream, top of anther protruding slightly beyond lip. Fruit not seen.

[From: Healy and Edgar (1980) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 3.]

Flowering: (Feb.)–May–Jun.