Zingiberaceae () or the ginger family is a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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 made up of about 50

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

with a total of about 1600 known

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of aromatic

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

s with creeping horizontal or tuberous

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 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 In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...

, or

medicinal plant Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including Plant defense against h ...

s. Ornamental genera include the shell gingers (''

Alpinia ''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.Curcuma alismatifolia ''Curcuma alismatifolia'', Siam tulip or summer tulip (, ; , ; , ) is a tropical plant native to Laos, northern Thailand, and Cambodia. Despite its name, it is not related to the tulip, but is a close relative of turmeric. It can grow as an ind ...

''), ''

Globba ''Globba'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family: with delicate flowers, sometimes called "dancing ladies" or "dancing girls ginger". Species are native to the Indian Subcontinent, China, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago ...

'', ginger lily (''

Hedychium ''Hedychium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, native to lightly wooded habitats in Asia. There are approximately 70-80 known species, native to India, Southeast Asia, and Madagascar. Some species have become wi ...

''), ''

Kaempferia ''Kaempferia'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It is native to China, India, and Southeast Asia. The genus is named after the naturalist and traveller Engelbert Kaempfer, who lived in Japan and east Asia for the years 1689-1693 and wa ...

'', torch-ginger ''

Etlingera elatior ''Etlingera elatior'' (also known as torch ginger, among other names) is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the family Zingiberaceae; it is native to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and New Guinea. The showy pink flowers are used in decor ...

'', ''

Renealmia ''Renealmia'' is a plant genus in the family Zingiberaceae. Its members are native to tropical Africa and tropical America (Latin America and the West Indies). In Peru, fruits and tubers are sources of indigenous dyes. and indigenous medical trea ...

'', and ginger (''

Zingiber ''Zingiber'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Zingiberaceae. It is native to China, the Indian subcontinent, New Guinea, and Southeast Asia, especially Thailand. It contains the true gingers, plants grown the world over for their culi ...

''). Spices include ginger (''

''),

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 ...

or Thai ginger (''

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 ...

'' and others), melegueta pepper (''

Aframomum melegueta Grains of paradise (''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 cit ...

''),

myoga or Japanese ginger is the species ''Zingiber mioga'' in the family Zingiberaceae. It is a deciduous herbaceous perennial native to Japan, China, and the southern part of Korea.Cole TCH, Nürnberger "Zingiber mioga and its Cultivars,"''The Plan ...

(''Zingiber mioga''),

korarima ''Aframomum corrorima'' is a species of flowering plant in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is an herbaceous perennial that produces leafy stems 1–2 meters tall from rhizomatous roots. The alternately-arranged leaves are dark green, 10–30 ...

(''Aframomum corrorima''),

turmeric Turmeric (), or ''Curcuma longa'' (), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between and high ...

(''Curcuma''), and

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

(''

Amomum ''Amomum'' is a genus of plants containing about 111 species native to China, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Queensland. It includes several species of cardamom. Plants of this genus are remarkable for their pungency and ...

'', ''

Elettaria ''Elettaria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Zingiberaceae. They are native to India and Sri Lanka, but cultivated and naturalized elsewhere. One member of the genus, '' E. cardamomum'', is a commercially important spice used as ...

'').

Evolution

The earliest known fossils of the family belong to the

Campanian The Campanian is the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch on the geologic timescale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). In chronostratigraphy, it is the fifth of six stages in the Upper Cretaceous Series. Campa ...

age and are from the genera '' Spirematospermum'' in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

,'' Tricostatocarpon'' and '' Striatornata'' in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, and '' Momordiocarpon'' in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. '' Spirematospermum chandlerae'' from the

Santonian The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous Epoch or Upper Cretaceous Series. It spans the time between 86.3 ± 0.7 mya ( million years ago) and 83.6 ± 0.7 m ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

was previously classified in the Zingiberaceae, but more recent studies support it belonging to the

Musaceae Musaceae is a family of flowering plants composed of three genera with about 91 known species, placed in the order Zingiberales. The family is native to the tropics of Africa and Asia. The plants have a large herbaceous growth habit with leaves w ...

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 a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another 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 epiphyt ...

Flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s are

hermaphroditic A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic. The individuals of many ...

, usually strongly

zygomorphic Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts. Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spir ...

, in determinate 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 (: 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 ...

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 ...

s used in the perfume industry (''

Alpinia ''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.Hedychium ''Hedychium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, native to lightly wooded habitats in Asia. There are approximately 70-80 known species, native to India, Southeast Asia, and Madagascar. Some species have become wi ...

'').

Genera

57 genera are accepted. *''

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

'' *''

Aframomum ''Aframomum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is widespread across tropical Africa as well as on some islands of the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Seychelles, and Mauritius). It is represented by approximately ...

'' *''

Alpinia ''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.Amomum ''Amomum'' is a genus of plants containing about 111 species native to China, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Queensland. It includes several species of cardamom. Plants of this genus are remarkable for their pungency and ...

'' *'' Aulotandra'' *''

Boesenbergia ''Boesenbergia'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It contains more than 90 species, native to China, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, etc.). Species ''Plants of the World Online'' ...

'' *'' Burbidgea'' *''

Camptandra ''Camptandra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It contains 4 known species, all endemic to Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continenta ...

'' *''

Caulokaempferia ''Caulokaempferia'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family, first described in 1964. The genus is native to southeastern China, the eastern Himalayas, and Indochina (especially Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand an ...

'' *'' Cautleya'' *'' Conamomum'' *'' Cornukaempferia'' *''

Curcuma ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the ginger 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 spe ...

'' *'' Cyphostigma'' *''

Distichochlamys ''Distichochlamys'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It has 4 known species, all endemic to Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with ...

'' *''

'' *'' Epiamomum'' *'' Etlingera'' *'' Gagnepainia'' *'' Geocharis'' *''

Geostachys ''Geostachys'' is a genus of plants in the family Zingiberaceae. It is native to southeast Asia.Lau, K.H. & Lim, C.K. (2012). Revision of the genus ''Geostachys'' (Zingiberaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia. Folia Malaysiana 13: 7-42. , Plants of the ...

'' *''

Haniffia ''Haniffia'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It has 3 known species, native to Thailand and to Peninsular Malaysia. * ''Haniffia albiflora'' K.Larsen & J.Mood – Thailand * ''Haniffia cyanescens'' (Ridl.) Holttum – P ...

'' *''

'' *'' Hemiorchis'' *''

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. Species As accepted by Plants of the World Online; References

{{Taxonbar, fro ...

'' *'' Johoralia'' *''

'' *'' Kedhalia'' *'' Lanxangia'' *''

Larsenianthus ''Larsenianthus'' is a genus of monocotyledonous plants in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The genus was established in 2010. The four or so species are native to the area of the eastern Himalayas. Description ''Larsenianthus'' species grow a ...

'' *'' Leptosolena'' *'' Meistera'' *'' Myxochlamys'' *''

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 full ...

'' *'' 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 I ...

'' *'' Perakalia'' *''

Plagiostachys ''Plagiostachys'' is a genus of plants in the Zingiberaceae. It is native to Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that ...

'' *'' Pleuranthodium'' *'' Pommereschea'' *'' Pyrgophyllum'' *''

'' *''

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

'' *'' Reidelia'' *''

Roscoea ''Roscoea'' is a genus of perennial plants of the family (biology), family Zingiberaceae (the ginger family). While most members of the ginger family are tropical, ''Roscoea'' species are native to cooler mountainous regions of the Himalayas, C ...

'' *''

Scaphochlamys ''Scaphochlamys'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It is native to Southeast Asia (Thailand, Singapore, Borneo and Malaysia).Searle, R.J. (2010). The genus ''Scaphochlamys'' (Zingiberaceae - Zingibereae): a compendium for the field work ...

'' *''

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

'' *''

Siliquamomum ''Siliquamomum'' is a genus of plants in the Zingiberaceae. Species Known species are native to Vietnam and southern China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a ...

'' *''

Siphonochilus ''Siphonochilus'' is a genus of flowering 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. Species * ''Siphonochilus a ...

'' *''

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, officially the Republi ...

'' *''

Sulettaria ''Sulettaria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Zingiberaceae. The species of the genus were formerly placed in the genus ''Elettaria'' until 2018. ''Sulettaria'' are native to Malaysia and Indonesia Indonesia, officially th ...

'' *'' Sundamomum'' *''

Tamijia Tamijia flagellaris is a species of flowering plant in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, and the sole member of the genus Tamijia. Endemic to the island of Borneo, this understory herb is notable for its unique morphology and adaptation to shaded ...

'' *'' Vanoverberghia'' *'' Wurfbainia'' *''

Taxonomy

Phylogenetic tree of the family

Subdivisions

*Subfamily

Siphonochiloideae ''Siphonochilus'' is a genus of flowering 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. Species * '' Siphonochilus ...

**Tribe Siphonochileae ***''

'' *Subfamily Tamijioideae **Tribe Tamijieae ***''

'' *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'' * ''Elet ...

**Tribe Alpinieae ***''

'' ***''

'' -

grains of paradise Grains of paradise (''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 cit ...

***''

Alpinia ''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.Amomum ''Amomum'' is a genus of plants containing about 111 species native to China, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Queensland. It includes several species of cardamom. Plants of this genus are remarkable for their pungency and ...

'' ***'' Aulotandra'' ***'' Cyphostigma'' ***''

'' - cardamom ***'' Elettariopsis'' ***'' Etlingera'' ***'' Geocharis'' ***''

'' ***''

{{Taxonbar, fro ...

'' ***'' Lanxangia'' ***'' Leptosolena'' ***''

'' ***''

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

'' *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 ...

**Tribe Zingibereae ***''

'' ***''

'' ***'' Cautleya'' ***'' Cornukaempferia'' ***''

'' - turmeric ***''

Curcumorpha ''Boesenbergia'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It contains more than 90 species, native to China, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, etc.). Species ''Plants of the World Online'' ...

'' ***''

Haplochorema ''Boesenbergia'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family. It contains more than 90 species, native to China, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, etc.). Species ''Plants of the World Online'' ...

'' ***''

'' ***'' Hitchenia'' ***''

'' ***'' Kedhalia'' ***'' Laosanthus'' ***'' Myxochlamys'' ***''

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

'' ***'' Pommereschea'' ***'' Pyrgophyllum'' ***''

'' ***''

'' ***'' Smithatris'' ***''

'' ***'' Stahlianthus'' ***''

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

'' ***'' Hemiorchis'' *subfamily unknown ** '' Johoralia'' ** '' Perakalia''

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#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

References

Bibliography

External links

List of Indian medicinal plants
from
Biodiversity of India
'

*Zomlefer, W.B. ''Flowering Plant Families''. The University of North Carolina Press. 1994. {{Authority control Commelinid families Rhizomatous plants Cretaceous plants