Alpinia Hibinoi
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''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is named for
Prospero Alpini Prospero Alpini (also known as Prosper Alpinus, Prospero Alpinio and Latinized as Prosperus Alpinus) (23 November 15536 February 1617) was a Venetian physician and botanist. He travelled around Egypt and served as the fourth prefect in charge of ...
, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and
subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...
climates.''Alpinia''.
Flora of China.
Several species are cultivated as ornamental plants.''Alpinia''.
Flora of North America.
Species of the genus are known generally as shell ginger.


Description

These herbs lack true stems, but have pseudostems usually up to about long which are composed of the overlapping leaf sheaths. A few species have been known to reach .Kress, W. J., et al. (2005)
"The molecular phylogeny of ''Alpinia'' (Zingiberaceae): a complex and polyphyletic genus of gingers".
''American Journal of Botany'' 92(1), 167-78.
They grow from thick
rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
s. The leaves are lance-shaped to oblong. The inflorescence takes the form of a spike, a
panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...
, or a
raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...
. It may be hooded in
bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
s and bracteoles. The flower has a shallowly toothed
calyx Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to: Biology * Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...
which is sometimes split on one side. The flower corolla is a cylindrical tube with three lobes at the mouth, the middle lobe larger and hoodlike in some taxa. There is one fertile
stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...
and two
staminode In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen, which means that it does not produce pollen.Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; ''A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent''; Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. ...
s, which are often joined into a petal-like labellum, a structure that is inconspicuous in some species and quite showy in others. The fruit is a rounded, dry or fleshy capsule. The plants are generally aromatic due to their
essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...
s.


Ecology

Most ''Alpinia'' are plants of forest understory habitat. Most are pollinated by large
bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyly, monophyletic lineage within the ...
s, but some are pollinated by birds and bats.


Uses

According to the research on ''Alpinia'' by the research team of National Chung Hsing University, "''Alpinia'' has anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, anti-tumor and other effects."


Species

This is the largest genus in the ginger family, with about 230 species. A number of those are commonly grown for their flowers, and others are used as spices. Species include: *'' Alpinia abundiflora'' *'' Alpinia acrostachya'' *'' Alpinia acuminata'' *'' Alpinia aenea'' *'' Alpinia affinis'' *'' Alpinia agiokuensis'' *'' Alpinia alata'' *''
Alpinia albertisii ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, whe ...
'' *'' Alpinia albipurpurea'' *''
Alpinia allugas ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, ...
'' *''
Alpinia amentacea ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, ...
'' *'' Alpinia angustifolia'' *''
Alpinia annabellae ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, wh ...
'' *''
Alpinia antillarum ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, ...
'' *''
Alpinia apoensis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, wh ...
'' *''
Alpinia aquatica ''Alpinia aquatica'', aquatic ginger, is a species of ginger native from South India to Western Malesia. It was first described by Anders Jahan Retzius Anders Jahan Retzius (3 October 1742 – 6 October 1821) was a Swedish chemist, botanist a ...
'' *''
Alpinia arctiflora ''Alpinia arctiflora'' is a plant in the ginger family ( Zingiberaceae) endemic to Queensland. Description ''Alpinia arctiflora'' is a rhizomatous herb, meaning that the stem takes the form of an underground rhizome with only the leafy shoots ...
'' *''
Alpinia arfakensis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, wh ...
'' *''
Alpinia arundelliana ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, ...
'' *''
Alpinia assimilis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, wh ...
'' *''
Alpinia athroantha ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, ...
'' *''Alpinia aurantiaca'' *''Alpinia auriculata'' *''Alpinia bambusifolia'' *''Alpinia beamanii'' *''Alpinia biakensis'' *''Alpinia bicalyculata'' *''Alpinia bifida'' *''Alpinia bilamellata'' *''Alpinia bisculata'' *''Alpinia blepharocalyx'' *''Alpinia blumei'' *''Alpinia boia'' *''Alpinia boninsimensis'' *''Alpinia borneensis'' *''Alpinia borraginoides'' *''Alpinia brachyantha'' *''Alpinia brachypoda'' *''Alpinia bracteata'' *''Alpinia breviligulata'' (Gagnep.) *''Alpinia brevilabris'' *''Alpinia brevis'' *''Alpinia brevituba'' *''Alpinia burkillii'' *''Alpinia caerulea'' – Australian native ginger *''Alpinia calcarata'' – heen araththa, cardamom ginger *''Alpinia calcicola'' *''Alpinia calycodes'' *''Alpinia campanaria'' *''Alpinia cannaefolium'' *''Alpinia capitellata'' *''Alpinia cardamomum-medium'' *''Alpinia carinata'' *''Alpinia carnea'' *''Alpinia carolinensis'' *''Alpinia celebica'' *''Alpinia cernua'' *''Alpinia chaunocolea'' *''Alpinia chinensis'' *''Alpinia chrysorachis'' *''Alpinia coeruleoviridis'' *''Alpinia colossea'' *''Alpinia comosa'' *''Alpinia conchigera'' – lesser alpinia *''Alpinia condensata'' *''Alpinia conferta'' *''Alpinia congesta'' *''Alpinia conghuaensis'' *''Alpinia conglomerata'' *''Alpinia copelandii'' *''Alpinia corallina'' *''Alpinia coriacea'' *''Alpinia coriandriodora'' *''Alpinia cornu-cervi'' *''Alpinia cristata'' *''Alpinia crocodocalyx'' *''Alpinia cumingii'' *''Alpinia cylindrocephala'' *''Alpinia dasystachys'' *''Alpinia decurva'' *''Alpinia decurvata'' *''Alpinia dekockii'' *''Alpinia densespictata'' *''Alpinia densibractetata'' *''Alpinia densiflora'' *''Alpinia diffissa'' *''Alpinia divaricata'' *''Alpinia dolichocephala'' *''Alpinia domatifera'' *''Alpinia dyeri'' *''Alpinia edanoi'' *''Alpinia elmeri'' *''Alpinia elwesii'' *''Alpinia emaculata'' *''Alpinia engleriana'' *''Alpinia eremochlamys'' *''Alpinia eremochlamys'' *''Alpinia euastra'' *''Alpinia eubractea'' *''Alpinia eustales'' *''Alpinia exostylis'' *''Alpinia flabellata'' *''Alpinia flava'' *''Alpinia flexistamen'' *''Alpinia fluvitialis'' *''Alpinia formosana'' *''Alpinia foxworthyi'' *''Alpinia fraseriana'' *''Alpinia fusiformis'' *''Alpinia gagnepainii'' *''Alpinia galanga'' – greater galangal *''Alpinia gigantea'' *''Alpinia glabra'' *''Alpinia glabrescens'' *''Alpinia glacicaerulea'' *''Alpinia globosa'' – round Chinese cardamom *''Alpinia gracilis'' *''Alpinia gracillima'' *''Alpinia graminea'' *''Alpinia grandiceps'' *''Alpinia grandis'' *''Alpinia guinanensis'' *''Alpinia haenkei'' *''Alpinia hagena'' *''Alpinia hainanensis'' *''Alpinia hamiltoniana'' *''Alpinia hansenii'' *''Alpinia havilandii'' *''Alpinia hemsleyanan'' *''Alpinia henryi'' *''Alpinia hibinoi'' *''Alpinia himantoglossa'' *''Alpinia hirsuta'' *''Alpinia hokutensis'' *''Alpinia homeana'' *''Alpinia hookeriana'' *''Alpinia hulstijnii'' *''Alpinia humilis'' *''Alpinia hylandii'' *''Alpinia illustris'' *''Alpinia intermedia'' *''Alpinia involucrata'' *''Alpinia iriomotensis'' *''Alpinia janowskii'' *''Alpinia japonica'' *''Alpinia javanica'' – Javanese alpinia *''Alpinia jianganfeng'' *''Alpinia jingxiensis'' *''Alpinia kainantensis'' *''Alpinia katsumadae'' *''Alpinia kelungensis'' *''Alpinia kermesina'' *''Alpinia kiungensis'' *''Alpinia kiushiana'' *''Alpinia koidzumiana'' *''Alpinia korthalsii'' *''Alpinia koshunensis'' *''Alpinia kumatahe'' *''Alpinia kusshakuensis'' *''Alpinia kwangsiensis'' *''Alpinia laosensis'' *''Alpinia latilabris'' *''Alpinia lauterbachii'' *''Alpinia laxiflora'' *''Alpinia laxisecunda'' *''Alpinia leptostachya'' *''Alpinia ligulata'' *''Alpinia linguiformis'' *''Alpinia longepetiola'' *''Alpinia luteo-carpa'' *''Alpinia maclurei'' *''Alpinia macrantha'' *''Alpinia macrocarpa'' *''Alpinia macrocephala'' *''Alpinia macroscaphis'' *''Alpinia macrostemon'' *''Alpinia macroura'' *''Alpinia maculata'' *''Alpinia malaccensis'' – rathkihiriya *''Alpinia manii'' *''Alpinia manostachys'' *''Alpinia martinii'' *''Alpinia maxii'' *''Alpinia mediomaculata'' *''Alpinia melanocarpa'' – black-fruited alpinia *''Alpinia menghaiensis'' *''Alpinia mesanthera'' *''Alpinia microlophon'' *''Alpinia missionis'' *''Alpinia modesta'' *''Alpinia mollis'' *''Alpinia mollissima'' *''Alpinia molucana'' *''Alpinia monopleura'' *''Alpinia multispicata'' *''Alpinia murdochii'' *''Alpinia musaefedia'' *''Alpinia mutica'' – small shell ginger, orchid ginger, narrow-leaved alpinia *''Alpinia myriocratera'' *''Alpinia nanchuanensis'' *''Alpinia napoensis'' *''Alpinia neesana'' *''Alpinia nidus-vespae'' *''Alpinia nieuwenhuizii'' *''Alpinia nigra'' *''Alpinia novae-hiberniae'' *''Alpinia novae-pommeraniae'' *''Alpinia nupiocratera'' *''Alpinia nutans'' – dwarf cardamom, ginger lily, shell ginger *''Alpinia oblongifolia'' *''Alpinia oceanica'' *''Alpinia odontonema'' *''Alpinia officinarum'' – lesser galangal, Chinese ginger *''Alpinia oligantha'' *''Alpinia orchioides'' *''Alpinia orthostachys'' *''Alpinia ovata'' *''Alpinia ovoidocarpa'' *''Alpinia oxymitra'' *''Alpinia oxyphylla'' – sharp-leaf galangal *''Alpinia padacanca'' *''Alpinia pahangensis'' *''Alpinia papuana'' *''Alpinia parviflora'' *''Alpinia pectinata'' *''Alpinia penduliflora'' *''Alpinia penicillata'' *''Alpinia petiolata'' – stalked-leaved alpinia *''Alpinia philippinensis'' *''Alpinia phoenicea'' *''Alpinia pininga'' *''Alpinia pinnanensis'' *''Alpinia platychilus'' *''Alpinia plectophylla'' *''Alpinia plumieri'' *''Alpinia polyantha'' *''Alpinia porphyrea'' *''Alpinia porphyrocarpa'' *''Alpinia porrecta'' *''Alpinia pricei'' *''Alpinia psilogyna'' *''Alpinia pterocalyx'' *''Alpinia ptychanthera'' *''Alpinia pulcherrima'' *''Alpinia pumila'' *''Alpinia punicea'' *''Alpinia purpurata'' – red ginger *''Alpinia pyramidata'' – Java galangal *''Alpinia quadriloba'' *''Alpinia racimigera'' *''Alpinia racemosa'' *''Alpinia rafflesiana'' – Raffles' alpinia *''Alpinia rechingeri'' *''Alpinia regia'' *''Alpinia reticosa'' *''Alpinia rheedii'' *''Alpinia rigida'' *''Alpinia rolfei'' *''Alpinia romblonensis'' *''Alpinia romburghiana'' *''Alpinia rosacea'' *''Alpinia roscoeana'' *''Alpinia rosea'' *''Alpinia rosella'' *''Alpinia roxburghii'' *''Alpinia rubella'' *''Alpinia rubra'' *''Alpinia rubricaulis'' *''Alpinia rubromaculata'' *''Alpinia salamonensis'' *''Alpinia samoensis'' *''Alpinia sanderae'' *''Alpinia sandsii'' *''Alpinia sasakii'' *''Alpinia satsumensis'' *''Alpinia schultzei'' *''Alpinia schumanniana'' *''Alpinia secunda'' *''Alpinia secundiflora'' *''Alpinia seimundii'' *''Alpinia sericea'' *''Alpinia sericiflora'' *''Alpinia serrulata'' *''Alpinia shimadae'' *''Alpinia siamensis'' *''Alpinia sibuyanensis'' *''Alpinia silvicola'' *''Alpinia simsii'' *''Alpinia singuliflora'' *''Alpinia smithiae'' *''Alpinia spicata'' *''Alpinia squarrosa'' *''Alpinia stachyodes'' *''Alpinia stapfiana'' *''Alpinia stenobracteolata'' *''Alpinia stenostachys'' *''Alpinia striata'' *''Alpinia strobilacea'' *''Alpinia strobiliformis'' *''Alpinia subfusicarpa'' *''Alpinia submutica'' *''Alpinia subspicata'' *''Alpinia subverticillata'' *''Alpinia suishaensis'' *''Alpinia takaminei'' *''Alpinia tamacuensis'' *''Alpinia tomentosa'' *''Alpinia tonkinensis'' *''Alpinia tonrokuensis'' *''Alpinia trachyascus'' *''Alpinia tricolor'' *''Alpinia tubulata'' *''Alpinia unilateralis'' *''Alpinia uraiensis'' *''Alpinia uviformis'' *''Alpinia valetoniana'' *''Alpinia vanoverberghii'' *''Alpinia velutina'' *''Alpinia versicolor'' *''Alpinia viridiflora'' *''Alpinia vittata'' – variegate-ginger *''Alpinia vitiensis'' *''Alpinia vulcanica'' *''Alpinia walang'' *''Alpinia warburgii'' *''Alpinia wenzelii'' *''Alpinia werneri'' *''Alpinia womerslyi'' *''Alpinia wrayi'' *''Alpinia zerumbet'' – shell ginger (synonym ''Alpinia speciosa'') *''Alpinia zingiberina''


Gallery

File:Alpinia Calcarata.jpg, ''Alpinia Calcarata'' Alpinia galanga2.JPG, ''Alpinia galanga'' Alpinia caerulea fruit.jpg, ''Alpinia caerulea'' Alpinia calcarata.jpg, ''Alpinia calcarata'' 月桃.jpg, ''Alpinia speciosa'' Alpinia purpurata Martnique.jpg, ''Alpinia purpurata'' Alpinia hainanensis ' Shengzhen' 22.jpg, Alpinia hainanensis ' Shengzhen' ''from Flower View''


See also

* alpinetin * List of plants known as lily


References

{{Authority control Alpinia, Zingiberaceae genera