Zingiberaceae () or the ginger family is a

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s made up of about 50

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

with a total of about 1600 known

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of aromatic

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

s with creeping horizontal or tuberous

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 distributed throughout tropical Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Many of the family's species are important

ornamental Ornamental may refer to: *Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration *Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work *Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

, or medicinal plants. Ornamental genera include the shell gingers ('' Alpinia''), Siam or summer tulip ('' Curcuma alismatifolia''), '' Globba'', ginger lily ('' Hedychium''), '' Kaempferia'', torch-ginger '' Etlingera elatior'', '' Renealmia'', and ginger (''

Zingiber The genus ''Zingiber'' is native to Southeast Asia especially in Thailand, China, the Indian Subcontinent, and New Guinea. It contains the true gingers, plants grown the world over for their culinary value. The most well known are '' Z. officina ...

''). Spices include ginger (''

''), galangal or Thai ginger ('' Alpinia galanga'' and others), melegueta pepper (''

Aframomum melegueta ''Aframomum melegueta'' is a species in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, and closely related to cardamom. Its seeds are used as a spice (ground or whole); it imparts a pungent, black-pepper-like flavor with hints of citrus. It is commonly ...

''), myoga (''Zingiber mioga''), korarima (''Aframomum corrorima''),

turmeric Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asi ...

(''Curcuma''), and

cardamom Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are rec ...

('' Amomum'', '' Elettaria'').

Description

Members of the family are small to large herbaceous plants with distichous leaves with basal sheaths that overlap to form a pseudostem. The plants are either self-supporting or

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

Flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are hermaphroditic, usually strongly zygomorphic, in

determinate In logic and philosophy (especially metaphysics), a property is a characteristic of an object; a red object is said to have the property of redness. The property may be considered a form of object in its own right, able to possess other propertie ...

cymose inflorescences, and subtended by conspicuous, spirally arranged bracts. The perianth is composed of two whorls, a fused tubular calyx, and a tubular corolla with one lobe larger than the other two. Flowers typically have two of their stamenoids (sterile

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 ...

s) fused to form a petaloid lip, and have only one fertile stamen. The ovary is inferior and topped by two nectaries, the stigma is funnel-shaped. Some genera yield

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 used in the perfume industry ('' Alpinia'', '' Hedychium'').

Taxonomy

Subdivisions

Chhoti elaichi flower & fruit in Goa W IMG 2466

*Subfamily

Siphonochiloideae ''Siphonochilus'' is a genus of plants native to sub-Saharan Africa.Govaerts, R. (2004). World Checklist of Monocotyledons Database in ACCESS: 1-54382. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. * ''Siphonochilus aethiopicus'' (Sch ...

**Tribe Siphonochileae ***''

Siphonochilus ''Siphonochilus'' is a genus of plants native to sub-Saharan Africa.Govaerts, R. (2004). World Checklist of Monocotyledons Database in ACCESS: 1-54382. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. * ''Siphonochilus aethiopicus'' (Sch ...

'' *Subfamily

Tamijioideae ''Tamijia flagellaris'' is the only species within the genus ''Tamijia''. It is part of the family ''Zingiberaceae'' (the ginger family).

**Tribe

Tamijieae ''Tamijia flagellaris'' is the only species within the genus ''Tamijia''. It is part of the family '' Zingiberaceae'' (the ginger family).

***'' Tamijia'' *Subfamily

Alpinioideae Alpinioideae is a subfamily of plants in the family Zingiberaceae. Tribes & genera Tribe Alpinieae * '' Adelmeria'' * ''Aframomum'' * ''Alpinia'' * ''Amomum'' - synonym '' Elettariopsis'' * ''Aulotandra'' * '' Conamomum'' * '' Cyphostigma'' * '' ...

**''

Siliquamomum ''Siliquamomum'' is a genus of plants in the Zingiberaceae. Species Known species are native to Vietnam and southern China. #'' Siliquamomum alcicorne'' Škorničk. & H.Đ.Trần #'' Siliquamomum oreodoxa'' N.S.Lý & Škorničk - Vietnam #'' S ...

'' ('' incertae sedis'') **Tribe Alpinieae ***''

Adelmeria ''Adelmeria'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the family Zingiberaceae which are endemic to the Philippines. Previoulsy, ''Adelmeria'' had been considered a synonym of the genus ''Alpinia'', however, after a study showed ''Alpina'' to be highly ...

'' ***'' Aframomum'' - grains of paradise ***'' Alpinia'' - galangal ***'' Amomum'' ***''

Aulotandra ''Aulotandra'' is a genus of plants native to Cameroon and Madagascar.Perrier de la Bathie, H. 1946. Zingiberacees. Flore de Madagascar et des Comores 47: 1–32 * ''Aulotandra angustifolia'' H.Perrier - Madagascar * ''Aulotandra humbertii'' H.P ...

'' ***''

Cyphostigma ''Cyphostigma'' is a genus of plants. It contains only one accepted species, ''Cyphostigma pulchellum'', endemic to Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை ...

'' ***'' Elettaria'' - cardamom ***''

Elettariopsis ''Elettariopsis'' was a genus of plants in the ginger family, that has now been subsumed into the genus ''Amomum''. Species are native to Southeast Asia, southern China and New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as ...

'' ***''

Etlingera ''Etlingera'' is a genus of Indo-Pacific herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, consisting of more than 100 species found in tropical regions of the Old World.POULSEN, Axel Dalberg (2006Etlingera of Borneo Natu ...

'' ***'' Geocharis'' ***''

Geostachys ''Geostachys'' is a genus of plants in the Zingiberaceae. It is native to southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical U ...

'' ***''

Hornstedtia ''Hornstedtia'' is a genus of plants in the Zingiberaceae. It is native to Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, southern China, New Guinea, Melanesia and Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_c ...

'' ***''

Lanxangia ''Lanxangia''Newman MF, Škorničková J (2018) ''Taxon'' 67(1): 23. is an Asian genus of plants in the ginger family. Species have been recorded from southern China to Indo-China. Species ''Plants of the World Online Plants of the Worl ...

'' ***''

Leptosolena ''Leptosolena'' is a genus of plants in the Zingiberaceae. It has only one known species, ''Leptosolena haenkei'', endemic to the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Discovery The species was discovered in 1792 by the Czech traveller and botanis ...

'' ***'' Plagiostachys'' ***'' Renealmia'' ***''

Vanoverberghia ''Vanoverberghia'' is a genus of plants in the Zingiberaceae, named after Morice Vanoverbergh (1885–1982), a Catholic missionary priest who lived in the Philippines and was also an anthropologist and a linguist. The genus has now have five k ...

'' ***×''Alpingera'' F. Luc-Cayol (''Alpinia'' × ''Etlingera'') - intergeneric hybrid **Tribe Riedelieae ***''

Burbidgea ''Burbidgea'' is a genus of plants in the family Zingiberaceae Zingiberaceae () or the ginger family is a family of flowering plants made up of about 50 genera with a total of about 1600 known species of aromatic perennial herbs with creeping ...

'' ***''

Pleuranthodium ''Pleuranthodium'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. Of the 23 known species, 21 are endemic to New Guinea, one to Queensland and one to the Bismarck Archipelago. * '' Pleuranthodium biligulatum'' (Valeton) R.M.Sm. Rosemary Margaret ...

'' ***'' Riedelia'' ***''

Siamanthus ''Siamanthus'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It contains only one known species, ''Siamanthus siliquosus'', endemic to Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thai ...

'' *Subfamily

Zingiberoideae Zingiberoideae is a subfamily of plants in the family Zingiberaceae.Kress JW, Prince LM, Williams KJ (2002) The phylogeny and a new classification of the gingers (Zingiberaceae): evidence from molecular data. ''American Journal of Botany'', 89(10 ...

**''

Caulokaempferia ''Caulokaempferia'' is a group of plants in the ginger family described as a genus in 1964. The genus is native to China, the Himalayas, and Indochina (especially Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially th ...

'' ('' incertae sedis'') **Tribe Zingibereae ***'' Boesenbergia'' ***''

Camptandra ''Camptandra'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It contains 4 known species, all endemic to Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal t ...

'' ***''

Cautleya ''Cautleya'' is a small genus of perennial plants of the family Zingiberaceae (the ginger family), found in the eastern Himalayas through to China and Vietnam. It consists of two species of high-altitude tropical and temperate plants, native to c ...

'' ***'' Cornukaempferia'' ***'' Curcuma'' - turmeric ***''

Curcumorpha ''Boesenbergia'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It contains more than 70 species, native to China, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, etc.). Species ''Plants of the World Online'' ...

'' ***'' Distichochlamys'' ***'' Haniffia'' ***'' Haplochorema'' ***'' Hedychium'' ***''

Hitchenia ''Hitchenia'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It contains only one recognized species, ''Hitchenia glauca'', endemic to Myanmar (Burma). The plant, which is called ''malaphu'' (မာလာဖူး) in Burmese, is used as an herb in B ...

'' ***'' Kaempferia'' ***'' Kedhalia'' ***''

Laosanthus ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the family Zingiberaceae that contains such species as turmeric and Siam tulip. They are native to Southeast Asia, southern China, the Indian Subcontinent, New Guinea and northern Australia. Some species are ...

'' ***''

Myxochlamys ''Myxochlamys'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Zingiberaceae. Its native range is Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Mar ...

'' ***''

Nanochilus ''Nanochilus'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It contains only one known species, ''Nanochilus palembanicus'', endemic to Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully ...

'' ***'' Newmania'' ***''

Parakaempferia ''Parakaempferia'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It contains only one known species, ''Parakaempferia synantha'', first described in 1971 and endemic to the Assam region of eastern India India, officially the Republic of Indi ...

'' ***''

Pommereschea ''Pommereschea'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. There are two known species, native to China and Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast As ...

'' ***'' Pyrgophyllum'' ***''

Rhynchanthus ''Rhynchanthus'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It is native to Yunnan, Myanmar, and the Assam region of eastern India. * '' Rhynchanthus beesianus'' W.W.Sm. - Yunnan, Myanmar * '' Rhynchanthus bluthianus'' Wittm. - Myanmar * '' Rhyn ...

'' ***''

Roscoea ''Roscoea'' is a genus of perennial plants of the family (biology), family Zingiberaceae (the ginger family). Most members of the family are tropical, whereas ''Roscoea'' species are native to mountainous regions of the Himalayas, China and its ...

'' ***'' Scaphochlamys'' ***''

Smithatris ''Smithatris'' is a genus of the ginger family ( Zingiberaceae). The first species of this genus, ''Smithatris supraneanae'', was named in 1998 by Kress and Larsen, two researchers from Denmark, in the limestone hills of Saraburi Province, Thai ...

'' ***''

Stadiochilus ''Stadiochilus'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It contains only one known species, ''Stadiochilus burmanicus'', first described by Rosemary Margaret Smith in 1980 and endemic to Myanmar (Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: ...

'' ***''

Stahlianthus ''Stahlianthus'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It is native to southern China, the Himalayas, and Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast ...

'' ***''

'' - ginger **Tribe Globbeae ***''

Gagnepainia ''Gagnepainia'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It has three known species, all native to Indochina. All three were initially described in 1895 as members of ''Hemiorchis'', then transferred to the newly created ''Gagne ...

'' ***'' Globba'' ***''

Hemiorchis ''Hemiorchis'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It contains three recognized species, native to the eastern Himalayas from Nepal to Myanmar. * '' Hemiorchis burmanica'' Kurz - Myanmar * '' Hemiorchis pantlingii'' King - Assam, Nepal, B ...

Distribution

The Zingiberaceae have a pantropical distribution in the tropics of Africa, Asia, and the Americas, with their greatest diversity in

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

References

Bibliography

External links

List of Indian medicinal plants
from
Biodiversity of India
'
''The phylogeny and a new classification of the gingers (Zingiberaceae): evidence from molecular data''
*Zomlefer, W.B. ''Flowering Plant Families''. The University of North Carolina Press. 1994. {{Authority control Commelinid families Rhizomatous plants