Zingiberaceae
|
|
Zingiber_Beehive.jpg
Zingiberaceae, or the Ginger family, is a group of perennial herbs with creeping horizontal or tuberous rhizomes, comprising 47 genera and about 1'000 species. Many species are important decorative plants, spices or medicinal plants. Important members of the family include ginger, turmeric, myoga, cardamom and galangal.
Characteristics
The plant is either self-supporting or epiphytic. They have alternate and distichous leaves; there is neither basal nor terminal aggregations of leaves. Flowers are bisexual, strongly zygomatic and form in bracts such as racemes and spikes. Flowers typically have labellums, an organ formed by the fusion of two sterile stamens. The perianth is comprised of 2 whorls. The calyx is herbaceous or membranous, 3-lobed or spathaceous tubular.
The plant's tissue characteristically yields essential oil.
Distribution
The family is present throughout the Tropics but particularly abundant in Southeast Asia.
Template:Commons
Template:Commons
Template:Commonsde:Ingwergewächse
fr:Zingiberaceae
nl:Gemberfamilie
zh:薑科