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Family: Zingiberaceae (ginger family) Life
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Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
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Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Zingiberales
About 52 genera and 1200 species worldwide, with two genera and
six species native to southern Africa and two genera and
four species that are naturalised. An additional five genera and 12 species are
cultivated in the region.
Genera native to southern Africa
Information from Archer (2000).
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Aframomum
About 50 species, native to tropical Africa, with two
species native to southern Africa (Zimbabwe and Mozambique) |
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Siphonochilus
About 20 species, all African, with four species native to southern Africa. |
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Genera naturalised in southern Africa
Information from Archer (2000).
Alpinia
About 200 species, most of which are native to southeast Asia. Alpinia
zerumbet (Shell ginger) has become naturalised in southern Africa. An
additional two species (Alpinia nutans and Alpinia purpurata)
are cultivated in southern Africa. The
genus also includes Alpinia galanga (Galangal), which is native to tropical Asia and cultivated in that region for its rhizomes, which are used in cooking
in the same way as ginger. |
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Hedychium (ginger lilies)
About 45 species, all native to Asia. There are three species that are
cultivated and which have
become naturalised in southern Africa. An additional species is cultivated
but not naturalised.
All four species are declared
Category 1 invasive plants in South Africa.
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Other genera, cultivated in southern Africa
List from Glen (2002).
Curcuma
Curcuma longa (Turmeric, Indian saffron, Borrie) probably originates from India and is
cultivated in southern Africa. The rhizomes are ground up and used as a
spice. Curcuma petiolata and Curcuma zedoaria have also been
cultivated in southern Africa. |
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Globba
Globba atrosanguinea from Borneo, and Globba winitii from
Thailand, are cultivated in southern Africa. |
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Nicolaia
Nicolaia elatior is native to Malaysia and is cultivated in southern
Africa. |
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Roscoea
Roscoea purpurea from the Himalayas, is cultivated in southern
Africa.
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Zingiber (ginger genus)
Zingiber officinale (Ginger) from Asia and Zingiber zerumbet
from India are cultivated in southern Africa. |
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Publications
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Archer, C. 2000. Zingiberaceae. In: Seed Plants of
Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 739-740.
National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
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Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of
Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.
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