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Alpinia

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Alpinia
Alpinia zerumbet
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Subfamily: Alpinioideae
Tribe: Alpinieae
Genus: Alpinia
Roxb.,1810
Species

See text

Synonyms[1]
20 synonyms

Alpiniais agenusofflowering plantsin the ginger family,Zingiberaceae.Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur intropicalandsubtropicalclimates.[2]Several species are cultivated asornamental plants.[3]

Taxonomy

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The genus was erected by the Scottish botanistWilliam Roxburghin 1810, and published in the journal Asiatic Researches[4]It is named afterProspero Alpini,a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants.[5]Species of the genus are known generally asshell gingers.[3][6]

  • Alpinia hainanensis 'Shengzhen'
    Alpinia hainanensis'Shengzhen'
  • Alpinia hainanensis 'Shengzhen'
    Alpinia hainanensis'Shengzhen'

Description

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These herbs lack true stems, but have pseudostems usually up to about 3 metres (9.8 ft) long which are composed of the overlapping leaf sheaths.[2][3]A few species have been known to reach 8 metres (26 ft).[7]They grow from thickrhizomes.The leaves are lance-shaped to oblong. Theinflorescencetakes the form of a spike, apanicle,or araceme.It may be hooded inbractsand bracteoles. The flower has a shallowly toothedcalyxwhich 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 fertilestamenand twostaminodes,which are often joined into a petal-likelabellum,a structure that is inconspicuous in some species and quite showy in others. The fruit is a rounded, dry or fleshy capsule.[2][3]The plants are generally aromatic due to theiressential oils.[8]

Species

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This is the largest genus in the ginger family,[7]with 248 species and 2 hybrids accepted byPlants of the World Onlineas of 27 June 2024.[1]A number of those are commonly grown for their flowers, includingred ginger,and others are used as spices, includingGalangal.

Accepted species

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Accepted hybrids

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Distribution

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The genusAlpiniais native to the countries (and regions) of;Andaman Islands,Assam, Bangladesh, Bismarck Archipelago,Bonin Islands,Borneo, Cambodia,Caroline Islands,southern China, East Himalaya, Fiji,Hainan,India, Japan, Java, Laos,Lesser Sunda Islands,Malaya,Maluku Islands,Myanmar, Nepal,New Caledonia,New Guinea, New South Wales,Nicobar Islands,Philippines, Queensland,Ryukyu Islands,Samoa,Solomon Islands,Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Vanuatu, Vietnam andVolcano Islands.[1]

Ecology

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MostAlpiniaare plants of forestunderstoryhabitat. Most arepollinatedby largebees,but some are pollinated by birds and bats.[7]

Uses

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According to a research team ofNational Chung Hsing University,Alpiniawas found to have anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, anti-tumor and other effects.[9]

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See also

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toAlpinia.
  1. ^abc"AlpiniaRoxb ".Plants of the World Online.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.2024.Retrieved27 June2024.
  2. ^abcAlpinia.Flora of China.
  3. ^abcdAlpinia.Flora of North America.
  4. ^Roxburgh, William (1810)."Descriptions of several of the Monandrous Plants of India, belonging to the natural order called Scitamineae by Linnaeus, Cannae by Jussieu, and Drimyrhizae by Ventenat".Asiatic Researches.11:350.Retrieved4 March2024.
  5. ^Simonetti, G. (1990). Stanley Schuler (ed.).Simon & Schuster's Guide to Herbs and Spices.Simon & Schuster, Inc.ISBN0-671-73489-X.
  6. ^Alpinia.Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
  7. ^abcKress, W. J., et al. (2005)."The molecular phylogeny ofAlpinia(Zingiberaceae): a complex and polyphyletic genus of gingers ".American Journal of Botany92(1), 167-78.
  8. ^Victório, C. P. (2011)."Therapeutic value of the genusAlpinia,Zingiberaceae ".Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia21(1), 194-201.
  9. ^Từng ngạn học, khâu huy long, Ngô dật hồng (2017). Từng ngạn học (ed.).Huệ tôn hưởng yến thực tài thực dược dùng thực vật đồ giam.Quốc lập trung hưng đại học nông nghiệp ký tự nhiên tài nguyên học viện thực nghiệm lâm quản lý chỗ.ISBN978-986-04-7966-9.
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