I tossed the pot aside, soil and all, thinking I would deal with it later. Later (weeks actually) when cleaning up the garden, I discovered the Globba showing growth. My benign neglect had not killed this plant; Globba are simply slow to wake up in the spring.

There are an estimated 35 to 70 species of Globba native to Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Oceana. Globba winitii is native to Thailand and Vietnam. Gingers of this 'kind' arrived in Europe during the 1700s; Linnaeus described and named this genus. (He is said to have named them from an Indonesian word, galoba, but this is not confirmed.)

Globba winitii are 'supposed-to' have cordate (heart-shaped) leaf bases. The plain green variety has, but all of the named cultivars appear to have lost this trait. The leaves are alternate along the stems which arise from a rhizome. The inflorescence is terminal and adorned with bright pink, lavender, or purple bracts depending upon the cultivar. The yellow flowers are said reminiscent of traditional Thai dancers.

A study of Globba by Martin J. Pfeiffer and others (2001) showed that at least three species are myrmecochorous. The seeds, elaiosomes or fleshy arils, are high in lipids, starch grains, and proteins. The plants 'encourage' ants to harvest the seeds and carry them back to their nest. The scientists found that twenty-one species of ants harvest the elaiosomes. The seeds were dispersed as much as 8 meters from the parent plant.