Skip to content
Jenjibre-de-jardin
Francisco Manuel Blanco (O.S.A.), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Gingers, heliconias & bananas

Jenjibre-de-jardin

Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) Maas

Names

EnglishJenjibre-de-jardin
DutchMasoesa
SpanishJengibre de jardín
Chinese—
Sranan Tongomasusa
Scientific nameRenealmia alpinia (Rottb.) Maas

About this species

Renealmia alpinia is a flowering plant species native to the Americas, where it grows from southern Mexico through much of South America, though not in the Southern Cone. It can also be found on several Caribbean islands.

In Quechua it is called misk'i p'anqa (misk'i sweet; honey, p'anqa bract, "sweet bract" or "honey bract"). The name alludes to R. alpinia's value as a culinary herb, especially for flavoring fish. Among Spanish-speakers this species is known as jenjibre-de-jardin ("garden ginger"). Both jenjibre-de-jardin and ginger (Zingiber officinale) are in the family Zingiberaceae.

Renealmia alpinia is commonly known as mardi gras in Trinidad, where hunters administer it either orally or topically to their hunting dogs to treat a variety of conditions, from sprains to snakebite.

In Suriname it's known as masoesa.

Read more on Wikipedia · Text: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Classification

KingdomPlantae
PhylumTracheophyta
ClassLiliopsida
OrderZingiberales
FamilyZingiberaceae
GenusRenealmia

In Suriname

35Records in Suriname
5iNaturalist observations
1687First record
2025Latest record

Where it has been recorded

  • Paramaribo4
  • Wanica2
  • Brokopondo1
  • Nickerie1
  • Sipaliwini1

Districts with at least one record that has coordinates. Shaded districts have records.

Records by month

All years combined.

Sources & credits

Spotted a mistake or know another local name? Tell us.

Related species in Suriname