Flower ID Please

[Autumn Sky]

I don't shoot many flowers, upload even less -- reasons being 1) flowers don't really sell  and 2) I have hell of the time identifying them!

 

 

Image was taken at Macaw Mountain Nature Park near Copan Ruinas, Honduras.   I think it is Red Ginger Lily Flower (Etlingera Elatior), but I am not sure. Could someone help please?

[John Mitchell]

Not sure if that's ginger, but I have been to the Macaw Mountain Bird Park in Copan Ruinas -- twice in fact. It's a wonderful place.

[Autumn Sky]

On 20/05/2019 at 09:52, John Mitchell said:

Not sure if that's ginger, but I have been to the Macaw Mountain Bird Park in Copan Ruinas -- twice in fact. It's a wonderful place.

It is, isn't it.  Everyone comes for Copan Ruinas, but Macaw Mountain is just as worth visiting.

 

I'll leave it as Red Ginger; spent >30 mins looking on Internet & couldn't find anything better.  Unless someone eventually responds, I'm sure there are flower specialists here.   

 

Here's nice parrot shot taken at Macaw; that place is paradise for bird lovers

[John Richmond]

Can't see any evidence of the cone shaped inflorescence in the centre of the flowers so I wouldn't like to say that was Etlingera elatior.  Could be the cone ginger, Alpinia purpurata but I don't have enough to go on to properly ID.

 

On second thoughts, just found this - https://alohatropicals.com/product/etlingera-elatior-tulip-torch/

 

Looks rather similar.

Edited May 21, 2019 by John Richmond
Additional information

[LSP]

Yes, Etlingera elatior, your photo is of an early-stage inflorescence. I have some huge ones in my garden. This is what they look like as they start to open up.

 

[John Mitchell]

21 hours ago, Autumn Sky said:

It is, isn't it.  Everyone comes for Copan Ruinas, but Macaw Mountain is just as worth visiting.

 

I'll leave it as Red Ginger; spent >30 mins looking on Internet & couldn't find anything better.  Unless someone eventually responds, I'm sure there are flower specialists here.   

 

Here's nice parrot shot taken at Macaw; that place is paradise for bird lovers

 

They do good work at Macaw Mountain, giving a home to lots of rescued beautiful birds. I've met the American owner a couple of times and even wrote an article about the reserve for a US magazine. Coincidentally, two of my Copan ruins images were zoomed yesterday, which doesn't happen very often. Hmmm...

[Autumn Sky]

I got 3 views for "Maya Site of Copan" search term, but no zooms.   It says 100 views, 2 zooms total.  Now we know who got the zooms ;=)  Hope it translates to a sale, but in my limited Alamy experience it doesn't happen very often.  

[John Mitchell]

1 hour ago, Autumn Sky said:

I got 3 views for "Maya Site of Copan" search term, but no zooms.   It says 100 views, 2 zooms total.  Now we know who got the zooms ;=)  Hope it translates to a sale, but in my limited Alamy experience it doesn't happen very often.  

 

One of the zooms was an image of an artifact in the sculpture museum next to the ruins, and the other was taken at the ruins themselves (see below). My Copan images haven't been especially big sellers. However, two or three license every year, often for good prices. My first trip to Copan was in 1996. I took three buses from Guatemala City. It was quite an adventure back then as most of the road to the Honduran border wasn't paved. I remember spending the last leg the journey sitting next to a Maya lady with a rooster on her lap. She also had a heavy sack of potatoes that sat on my left foot. They don't call them chicken buses for nothing.

 

Edited May 22, 2019 by John Mitchell

[Autumn Sky]

Good to hear you get some regular sales from Copan.  I wondered around the place 3-4 hours, but didn't have particularly good light.   Uploaded a few, still have 10-15 photos I plan to upload. This one is probably favorite

 

Reminds me of H.R. Giger alien art ;=)

 

Re Travel experiences, this is separate topic throughout Central America, isn't it.  I took a tour, wishing to eliminate logistics, but still had experiences similar to yours. In addition to being hot and humid throughout.  It is fascinating world though.

[Autumn Sky]

19 hours ago, LSP said:

Yes, Etlingera elatior, your photo is of an early-stage inflorescence. I have some huge ones in my garden. This is what they look like as they start to open up.

 

 

Thank you so much LSP

This is what I concluded by examining various Internet photos -- early stage so it hasn't "bloomed" yet.  It is a pretty flower though and your shot is fantastic.  Out of curiosity - did it ever sell?

[LSP]

Yes images of this flower have sold at least once - maybe the pink version rather than the red. They are colloquially known as "porcelain roses" in southeast asia.

 

The flowers are also edible in their early stages (like in your photograph). Quite nicely gingery when sliced up.