''Alpinia'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the ginger 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 horizontal or tuberous rhizomes distributed throughout tropical ...

. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

and

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

climates.''Alpinia''.
Flora of China. Several species are cultivated as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

s.''Alpinia''.
Flora of North America.

Taxonomy

The genus was erected by the Scottish botanist

William Roxburgh William Roxburgh FRSE FRCPE Linnean Society of London, FLS (3/29 June 1751 – 18 February 1815) was a Scottish people, Scottish surgeon and botanist who worked extensively in India, describing species and working on economic botany. He is known ...

in 1810, and published in the journal Asiatic Researches. It is named after

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 of the genus are known generally as shell gingers. File:Alpinia hainanensis ' Shengzhen' w2.jpg, ''Alpinia hainanensis'' 'Shengzhen' File:Alpinia hainanensis ' Shengzhen' 33.jpg, ''Alpinia hainanensis'' 'Shengzhen'

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 Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

s. The leaves are lance-shaped to oblong. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

takes the form of a spike, a

panicle In botany, 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 p ...

, or a

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, 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 ...

. It may be hooded in

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s and bracteoles. The flower has a shallowly toothed

calyx CALYX, Inc. is a non-profit publisher of art and literature by women founded in 1976 based in Corvallis, Oregon. CALYX publishes both '' CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women'' twice a year and CALYX Books, which publishes one to three ...

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 (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

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 ...

Species

This is the largest genus in the ginger family, with 248 species and 2 hybrids accepted by

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

. A number of those are commonly grown for their flowers, including red ginger, and others are used as spices, including

Galangal Galangal () is a rhizome of plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, with culinary and medicinal uses originating in Indonesia. It is one of four species in the genus ''Alpinia'', and is known for its pungent, aromatic flavor. Greater gal ...

Accepted species

*'' Alpinia abundiflora'' *'' Alpinia acuminata'' *''

Alpinia adana ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia aenea'' *'' Alpinia albipurpurea'' *'' Alpinia amentacea'' *'' Alpinia apoensis'' *'' Alpinia aquatica'' *'' Alpinia arctiflora'' *'' Alpinia arfakensis'' *''

Alpinia argentea ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia arundelliana'' *''

Alpinia asmy ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia assimilis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia athroantha'' *''

Alpinia austrosinense ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia bambusifolia'' *'' Alpinia beamanii'' *'' Alpinia biakensis'' *'' Alpinia bodenii'' *'' Alpinia boia'' *'' Alpinia boninsimensis'' *'' Alpinia borraginoides'' *'' Alpinia brachyantha'' *'' Alpinia brevilabris'' *'' Alpinia breviligulata'' *'' Alpinia brevis'' *''

Alpinia caerulea ''Alpinia caerulea'', commonly known as native ginger or Australian ginger, is an understorey perennial herb in the family Zingiberaceae which grows in rainforest, gallery forest and wet sclerophyll forest in eastern Australia. Description ''A ...

'' *'' Alpinia calcarata'' *'' Alpinia calcicola'' *'' Alpinia calycodes'' *'' Alpinia capitellata'' *'' Alpinia carinata'' *'' Alpinia carolinensis'' *'' Alpinia celebica'' *'' Alpinia chaunocolea'' *'' Alpinia chinensis'' *'' Alpinia chrysorachis'' *'' Alpinia coeruleoviridis'' *'' Alpinia conchigera'' *'' Alpinia condensata'' *'' Alpinia conferta'' *'' Alpinia congesta'' *'' Alpinia conghuaensis'' *'' Alpinia conglomerata'' *'' Alpinia copelandii'' *'' Alpinia coriacea'' *'' Alpinia coriandriodora'' *''

Alpinia corneri ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia cumingii'' *'' Alpinia cylindrocephala'' *'' Alpinia dasystachys'' *'' Alpinia dekockii'' *''

Alpinia densibracteata ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia densiflora'' *''

Alpinia denticulata ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia diffissa'' *'' Alpinia divaricata'' *''

Alpinia diversifolia ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia domatifera'' *''

Alpinia elegans ''Alpinia elegans'' is a species of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is found in Asia (the Philippines, Indonesia). References ''Alpinia elegans''at The Plant List ''Alpinia elegans''at Tropicos Tropicos is an o ...

'' *'' Alpinia elmeri'' *'' Alpinia emaculata'' *''

Alpinia epiphytica ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia eremochlamys'' *'' Alpinia euastra'' *'' Alpinia eubractea'' *''

Alpinia fax ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropics, tropical and subtropics, subtropical climates.Alpinia flabellata'' *''

Alpinia flagellaris ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia formosana'' *'' Alpinia foxworthyi'' *'' Alpinia fusiformis'' *'' Alpinia gagnepainii'' *''

Alpinia galanga ''Alpinia galanga'', a plant in the ginger family, bears a rhizome used largely as an herb in Unani medicine and as a spice in Southeast Asian cookery. It is one of four plants known as "galangal". Its common names include greater galangal, le ...

'' *'' Alpinia gigantea'' *'' Alpinia glabra'' *'' Alpinia glabrescens'' *'' Alpinia glacicaerulea'' *'' Alpinia globosa'' *'' Alpinia gracillima'' *'' Alpinia graminea'' *'' Alpinia guinanensis'' *'' Alpinia haenkei'' *'' Alpinia hagena'' *'' Alpinia hainanensis'' *'' Alpinia hansenii'' *'' Alpinia havilandii'' *'' Alpinia hibinoi'' *'' Alpinia himantoglossa'' *'' Alpinia hirsuta'' *''

Alpinia hoangviet ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia hongiaoensis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia horneana ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropics, tropical and subtropics, subtropical climates.Alpinia hulstijnii'' *'' Alpinia hylandii'' *'' Alpinia illustris'' *''

Alpinia inaequalis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia intermedia'' *'' Alpinia janowskii'' *'' Alpinia japonica'' *'' Alpinia javanica'' *'' Alpinia jianganfeng'' *'' Alpinia jingxiensis'' *''

Alpinia juliformis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia kawakamii ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia kiungensis'' *''

Alpinia klossii ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia koidzumiana'' *'' Alpinia koshunensis'' *'' Alpinia kusshakuensis'' *'' Alpinia kwangsiensis'' *''

Alpinia lalashanensis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia laosensis'' *'' Alpinia latilabris'' *'' Alpinia lauterbachii'' *'' Alpinia laxisecunda'' *'' Alpinia leptostachya'' *'' Alpinia ligulata'' *''

Alpinia ludwigiana ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia maclurei'' *'' Alpinia macrocephala'' *''

Alpinia macrocrista ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia macroscaphis'' *''

Alpinia macrostaminodia ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia macrostephana ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia macroura'' *'' Alpinia malaccensis'' *'' Alpinia manii'' *'' Alpinia manostachys'' *''

Alpinia martini ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia maxii'' *''

Alpinia melichroa ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia menghaiensis'' *'' Alpinia mesanthera'' *'' Alpinia microlophon'' *'' Alpinia modesta'' *''

Alpinia mollis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia mollissima'' *'' Alpinia monopleura'' *''

Alpinia multispica ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia murdochii ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia musifolia ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia mutica'' *'' Alpinia myriocratera'' *''

Alpinia nantoensis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia napoensis'' *''

Alpinia nelumboides ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia newmanii'' *'' Alpinia nidus-vespae'' *'' Alpinia nieuwenhuizii'' *''

Alpinia nigra ''Alpinia nigra'' (synonyms ''Alpinia allughas'' Retz. and ''Zingiber nigrum'' Gaertn.) is a medium-sized herb belonging to the ginger family. The rhizome is well known in many Asian cultures as a medicinal and culinary item. In many Asian tri ...

'' *''

Alpinia nobilis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia novae-hiberniae'' *'' Alpinia novae-pommeraniae'' *'' Alpinia nutans'' *'' Alpinia oblongifolia'' *'' Alpinia odontonema'' *''

Alpinia officinarum ''Alpinia officinarum'', known as lesser galangal, is a plant in the ginger family, cultivated in Southeast Asia. It originated in China, where its name ultimately derives. It can grow 1.5 to 2 m high, with long leaves and reddish-white flowers. ...

'' *'' Alpinia oligantha'' *''

Alpinia orientalis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia orthostachys'' *''

Alpinia oui ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia ovata'' *'' Alpinia ovoidocarpa'' *'' Alpinia oxymitra'' *'' Alpinia oxyphylla'' *'' Alpinia padacanca'' *'' Alpinia pahangensis'' *'' Alpinia papuana'' *''

Alpinia parksii ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropics, tropical and subtropics, subtropical climates.Alpinia penduliflora'' *'' Alpinia petiolata'' *'' Alpinia pinnanensis'' *'' Alpinia platychilus'' *''

Alpinia platylopha ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia polyantha'' *'' Alpinia porphyrea'' *'' Alpinia porphyrocarpa'' *'' Alpinia pricei'' *'' Alpinia psilogyna'' *'' Alpinia ptychanthera'' *''

Alpinia pubiflora ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia pulchella ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia pulcherrima'' *''

Alpinia pulchra ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia pumila ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia purpurata'' *'' Alpinia pusilla'' *'' Alpinia rafflesiana'' *'' Alpinia regia'' *'' Alpinia rigida'' *'' Alpinia romblonensis'' *'' Alpinia romburghiana'' *'' Alpinia rosacea'' *'' Alpinia rosea'' *'' Alpinia roxburghii'' *'' Alpinia rubricaulis'' *''

Alpinia rubromaculata ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia rufa ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia rufescens ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia rugosa ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia salomonensis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia samoensis'' *'' Alpinia sandsii'' *''

Alpinia scabra ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia schultzei'' *'' Alpinia seimundii'' *'' Alpinia sericiflora'' *''

Alpinia sessiliflora ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia shimadae'' *''

Alpinia shoukaensis ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia siamensis'' *'' Alpinia sibuyanensis'' *'' Alpinia singuliflora'' *'' Alpinia smithiae'' *'' Alpinia stachyodes'' *'' Alpinia stenobracteolata'' *'' Alpinia stenostachys'' *'' Alpinia strobilacea'' *'' Alpinia strobiliformis'' *'' Alpinia subfusicarpa'' *'' Alpinia submutica'' *'' Alpinia subspicata'' *'' Alpinia subverticillata'' *''

Alpinia superba ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia suriana ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia tamacuensis'' *'' Alpinia tonkinensis'' *'' Alpinia tonrokuensis'' *'' Alpinia trachyascus'' *''

Alpinia tristachya ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia unilateralis'' *'' Alpinia uraiensis'' *'' Alpinia valetoniana'' *'' Alpinia velutina'' *''

Alpinia velveta ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia versicolor'' *''

Alpinia vietnamica ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropics, tropical and subtropics, subtropical climates.Alpinia vitellina'' *'' Alpinia vitiensis'' *'' Alpinia vittata'' *'' Alpinia vulcanica'' *'' Alpinia warburgii'' *'' Alpinia wenzelii'' *'' Alpinia werneri'' *''

Alpinia womersleyi ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Alpinia zerumbet ''Alpinia zerumbet'', commonly known as shell ginger among other names, is a perennial species of ginger native to East Asia. The plants can grow up to tall and bear colorful funnel-shaped flowers. They are grown as ornamentals and their leave ...

Accepted hybrids

*'' Alpinia × ilanensis'' *'' Alpinia × okinawaensis''

Distribution

The genus ''Alpinia'' is native to the countries (and regions) of;

Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago, made up of 200 islands, in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a mari ...

, Assam, Bangladesh, Bismarck Archipelago,

Bonin Islands The Bonin Islands, also known as the , is a list of islands of Japan, Japanese archipelago of over 30 subtropical and Island#Tropical islands, tropical islands located around SSE of Tokyo and northwest of Guam. The group as a whole has a total ...

, Borneo, Cambodia,

Caroline Islands The Caroline Islands (or the Carolines) are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically, they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the cen ...

, southern China, East Himalaya, Fiji,

Hainan Hainan is an island provinces of China, province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of the eponymous Hainan Island and various smaller islands in the South China Sea under the province's administration. The name literally mean ...

, India, Japan, Java, Laos,

Lesser Sunda Islands The Lesser Sunda Islands (, , ), now known as Nusa Tenggara Islands (, or "Southeast Islands"), are an archipelago in the Indonesian archipelago. Most of the Lesser Sunda Islands are located within the Wallacea region, except for the Bali pro ...

Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...

Maluku Islands The Maluku Islands ( ; , ) or the Moluccas ( ; ) are an archipelago in the eastern part of Indonesia. Tectonics, Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located in West ...

, Myanmar, Nepal,

New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...

, New Guinea, New South Wales,

Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands are an archipelago, archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean. They are located in Southeast Asia, northwest of Aceh on Sumatra, and separated from Thailand to the east by the Andaman Sea. Located southeast of t ...

, Philippines, Queensland,

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...

, Samoa,

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Vanuatu, Vietnam and

Volcano Islands The or are a group of three Japanese-governed islands in Micronesia. They lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and belong to the municipality of Ogasawara, Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. The islands are all active volcanoes lying ato ...

Ecology

Most ''Alpinia'' are plants of forest

understory In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the Canopy (biology), forest ca ...

habitat. Most are

pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example bees, beetles or butterflies; bird ...

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 monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...

s, but some are pollinated by birds and bats.

Uses

According to a research team of

National Chung Hsing University National Chung Hsing University (NCHU; ; lit. National Resurgence University) is a comprehensive research university in South District, Taichung, Taiwan. Currently, NCHU is among the four universities of the Taiwan Comprehensive University Sys ...

, ''Alpinia'' was found to have anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, anti-tumor and other effects.

Gallery

File:Alpinia Calcarata.jpg, '' Alpinia Calcarata'' File:Alpinia galanga2.JPG, ''

'' File:Alpinia caerulea fruit.jpg, ''

'' File:Alpinia calcarata.jpg, '' Alpinia calcarata'' File:月桃.jpg, ''

Alpinia zerumbet ''Alpinia zerumbet'', commonly known as shell ginger among other names, is a perennial species of ginger native to East Asia. The plants can grow up to tall and bear colorful funnel-shaped flowers. They are grown as ornamentals and their leave ...

'' File:Alpinia purpurata Martnique.jpg, '' Alpinia purpurata'' File:Alpinia hainanensis ' Shengzhen' 22.jpg, ''Alpinia hainanensis'' "Shengzhen" from Flower View

References

{{Authority control Zingiberaceae genera