Zingiberaceae
From Freepedia
Zingiberaceae, or the Ginger family, is a taxon of perennial herbs with creeping horizontal or tuberous rhizomes, comprising 47 genera and about 1000 species. Many species are important ornamental 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 hermaphroditic, 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.
