Zingiber

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Zingiber is a genus of plants in the family Zingiberaceae. It contains the true gingers, including the type species, Zingiber officinale, known as ginger.

Description[edit | edit source]

The Zingiber genus is native to Southeast Asia, China, the Indian Subcontinent, and New Guinea. It contains several species of aromatic, perennial, herbaceous plants with distichous leaves with basal sheaths that overlap to form a pseudostem. The plants are either self-supporting or epiphytic. Flowers are hermaphroditic and are zygomorphic.

Species[edit | edit source]

There are about 141 accepted species in the Zingiber genus. Some of the most notable species include:

Uses[edit | edit source]

Zingiber species are used for a variety of purposes. The most well-known species, Zingiber officinale, is used as a spice in cooking and also in traditional medicine. Other species, such as Zingiber zerumbet, have medicinal uses in their native regions.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


External links[edit | edit source]



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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD