Showy perennial of marshlands of eastern and central North America having waxy lanceolate leaves and flower with lower part creamy white and upper parts pale pink to deep purple.

synoniemen: Chelone glabra, shell-flower, snake-head, snakehead, turtlehead.

Cultivated for its shining oblong leaves and arching clusters of white flowers with pink shading and crinkled yellow lips with variegated magenta stripes.

synoniemen: Alpinia speciosa, Alpinia Zerumbet, Languas speciosa, shall-flower, shell ginger.

Pools: alpinia zwyczajna