Alpinia
Alpinia | |
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Alpinia zerumbet | |
Scientific 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 |
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.[1] Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.[2] Several species are cultivated as ornamental plants.[3] Species of the genus are known generally as shell ginger.[3][4]
Description
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).[5] They grow from thick rhizomes. The leaves are lance-shaped to oblong. The inflorescence takes the form of a spike, a panicle, or a raceme. It may be hooded in bracts and bracteoles. The flower has a shallowly toothed calyx 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 and two staminodes, 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.[2][3] The plants are generally aromatic due to their essential oils.[6]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Alpinia_hainanensis_%27_Shengzhen%27_w2.jpg/220px-Alpinia_hainanensis_%27_Shengzhen%27_w2.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Alpinia_hainanensis_%27_Shengzhen%27_33.jpg/220px-Alpinia_hainanensis_%27_Shengzhen%27_33.jpg)
Ecology
Most Alpinia are plants of forest understory habitat. Most are pollinated by large bees, but some are pollinated by birds and bats.[5]
Species
This is the largest genus in the ginger family,[5] with about 230 species.[2][3][5] A number of those are commonly grown for their flowers, and others are used as spices.
Species include:[7]
- Alpinia abundiflora
- Alpinia acrostachya
- Alpinia acuminata
- Alpinia aenea
- Alpinia affinis
- Alpinia agiokuensis
- Alpinia alata
- Alpinia albertisii
- Alpinia albipurpurea
- Alpinia allugas
- Alpinia amentacea
- Alpinia angustifolia
- Alpinia annabellae
- Alpinia antillarum
- Alpinia apoensis
- Alpinia aquatica
- Alpinia arctiflora
- Alpinia arfakensis
- Alpinia arundelliana
- Alpinia assimilis
- Alpinia athroantha
- 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 speciosa – shellflower, shellplant
- 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
- Alpinia zingiberina
Gallery
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Alpinia hainanensis ' Shengzhen' from Flower View[8]
References
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ Simonetti, G. (1990). Stanley Schuler (ed.). Simon & Schuster's Guide to Herbs and Spices. Simon & Schuster, Inc. ISBN 0-671-73489-X.
- ^ a b c d Alpinia. Flora of China.
- ^ a b c d e Alpinia. Flora of North America.
- ^ Alpinia. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ Victório, C. P. (2011). "Therapeutic value of the genus Alpinia, Zingiberaceae". Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia 21(1), 194-201.
- ^ Alpinia. The Plant List.
- ^ Alpinia hainanensis ' Shengzhen'. "Alpinia hainanensis ' Shengzhen'". Flower View. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-12.