Three species of ginger indigenous to Thailand and Malaysia have recently been described in an article by John Mood and Ida Theidale in the Royal Horticultural Society’s magazine "The Garden", March 2002. Zingiber niveum (snow white) produces inflorescences with bracts that are initially white, greenish-white or pink turning to pure white. At maturity the swollen bracts become pink and small short-lived yellow flowers emerge. This species has been introduced for sale in the USA under the name "Milky Way", said to be one of the most beautiful of all the ginger flowers. Zingiber citriodorum produces starp like leaves and a light green infloresecence which when mature turns to a bright shiny red. On sale in the USA as "Chiang Mai Princess". The third species is Zingiber olivaceum named after the shiny olive green infloreseces that turn light red with yellow casts along the margins of the bracts. The short lives flowers are browny-black with yellow speckles and look not unlike butterflies alighted on the spikes. www.rhs.org.uk E-mail: thegarden@rhs.org.uk