I was recently in west Papua and came across this amazing plant. Please can anyone tell me what this is?!

I can't help with the ID, but it's a wonderful plant! I visited Papua years ago and never saw that. I lived at the time in the Marshall Islands and we didn't have it there either.

Google Tapeinochilos dahlii and see what you think. I think it is close.

It does look close to me. What do you think? @LaGaligo?

Think it could be this: Red Wax Ginger (Tapeinochilos ananassae)

Yes RJ, I think you are correct. There are more similarites here.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-ph...

A have grown T. Annansae and T. recurvata and neither turn black like that. Recurvata has a different shape to the info and annansae tends to be shorter and more 'squat'. Mine never turned black like that even when the bloom was getting spent. I think it may be dahlii. This plant was for sale for a while by a friend of mine who specializes in rare gingers but he is out of stock right now.

It does look like a Pineapple Ginger, sure is pretty! One of the photos in our database for Pineapple Ginger (Tapeinochilos ananassae) in our database show plants that appear two-toned but the dark shade is at the top.

Weird mine never did that! I got my ananassae years ago from Aloha Tropicals and my Recurvata at the Fairchild Gardens Ramble from Tom Woods. I've never seen them again for sale 'in person'

That one photo in our database for T. ananassae may very well be at the incorrect entry.

Pineapple Ginger (Tapeinochilos dahlii) has dark red bracts that age to black.

I have never seen one exactly like that either. It makes me wonder if it is even in cultivation outside of the tropics.
Gina is there any tropical plant you haven't grown? Your knowledge amazes me.
Michael

Yes plenty LOL. I never met a tropical I didn't like and want to grow. It was much easier to acquire things in the past, there used to be a very active trading group in Florida years ago who traded unusual and even rare things. I was out of touch for a number of years and now they seem to have disbanded. Plus postage has really skyrocketed, when we did a lot of our trading a pretty big priority mail box or large tube cost $3.20 to mail. Now....well, I guess it would still be cheaper than buying a plant from a nursery or mail order place. But sheesh its more expensive all the way around. I am not currently actively collecting except for the occasional orchid or palm. I am trying to maintain what I already have