Zingiberaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Zingiberaceae Martinov

Synonym(s): Alpiniaceae Link; Amomaceae J. St.-Hil., nom. illeg.; Curcumaceae Dumort.

Common name(s): ginger family

*Number of genera/species: 50/1,600

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

fruit or seed

Description

Fruit a loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
, rarely berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
, 4–130 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to toruloseknotted:
3D shape—a cylindrical or ellipsoid body that is swollen and constricted at intervals; torulose
, angledangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
or tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
in transection, sometimes sepalssepal:
a member of the outer envelope of a flower (calyx)
and bracts apically persistent, with few to many seeds. Fruits sometimes with crispedcrisped:
irregularly curled, wavy or crinkled
, undulateundulate:
wavy-margined
to crenulatecrenulate:
finely crenate (scalloped)
wings. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
orange, yellow, purple, green, gray, black, or brown, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, dry or fleshy, smooth, wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
, ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
, striatestriate:
surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges
, or soft spinyspiny:
having slender, stiff, sharp projections oriented in the general plane of the structure
, sometimes with white, brown, or red hairs.

Seeds globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to angularangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
, 1.5–7 mm long, often with a thin, white (or yellow to red) veillike, lobed arilsaril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
adnate to hilahilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
. Each seed with an operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
next to the radicleradicle:
the embryonic root of the embryo
(absent in Hedychieae). Seed coat phytomelan-encrusted, black, red, yellow, purple, brown, or gray, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
or wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
.

Embryo well developed, linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
, straight, partially filling seed coat, extending into a depression or cup.

Perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
copious.

Habitat and crop association

Commonly intercepted at ports. Spreads by rhizome propagation and seed reproduction, often forming extensive thickets making it difficult to control. It is considered invasive in shallow water systems some countries. 

Identification features

Fruit
Type capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
, rarely berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
Size range 4–130 mm long
Shape(s) globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, oblongoblong:
2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded
, flask-shapedflask-shaped:
3D shape—generally circular in cross-section, broadest at or below the middle, approximately globose below that and constricted above to a relatively narrow neck
, ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
, ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, trigonoustrigonous:
3D shape—having three faces that meet at distinct angles; triangular in outline
, teardrop-shapedteardrop-shaped:
2D shape—widest point is toward one end of the fruit, the other end tapers sharply to a pointed end
, fusiformfusiform:
spindle-shaped; broadest at the middle and tapering at both ends
, conicalconical:
3D shape—cone-shaped, with the point of attachment at the broad end
, toruloseknotted:
3D shape—a cylindrical or ellipsoid body that is swollen and constricted at intervals; torulose
Texture dry, fleshy
Surface relief smooth, wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
, ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
, striatestriate:
surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges
, spinyspiny:
having slender, stiff, sharp projections oriented in the general plane of the structure
Color(s) gray, brown, yellow, green, orange, purple, black
Unique features Usually brightly-colored, loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulescapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
with arillate seeds.
Seed
Size range 1.5–7 mm long
Shape(s) polygonalpolygonal:
angular
, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, oblongoblong:
2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded
, ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, conicalconical:
3D shape—cone-shaped, with the point of attachment at the broad end
Color(s) black, red, purple, brown, gray, yellow
Unique features Arillate seeds encrusted with phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families
and each with an operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
.
Other
Embryo well developed, linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
, straight, partially filling seed coat, extending into a depression or cup
Nutritive tissue perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
copious

Distribution

Tropical, subtropical regions.

Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.

References

Baskin and Baskin 2021Baskin and Baskin 2021:
Baskin C and Baskin J. 2021. Relationship of the lateral embryo (in grasses) to other monocot embryos: A status up-grade. Seed Science Research 31 (3): 199-210. doi:10.1017/S0960258521000209
; Benedict et al. 2015Benedict et al. 2015:
Benedict JC, Smith SY, Collinson ME, Leong-Scaron;korničkovaacute; J, Specht CD, Marone F, Xiao X, and Parkinson DY. 2015. Seed morphology and anatomy and its utility in recognizing subfamilies and tribes of Zingiberaceae. American Journal of Botany 102 (11): 1814-1841. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1500300
; Dahlgren et al. 1985Dahlgren et al. 1985:
Dahlgren RMT, Clifford HT, and Yeo PF. 1985. The families of the monocotyledons: structure, evolution, and taxonomy. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 520 pp.
; Davidse et al. 2009–2018Davidse et al. 2009–2018:
Davidse GM, Sousa Sánchez M, Knapp S. and Chiang Cabrera F, eds. 2009–2018. Flora Mesoamericana. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO. Accessed: January–April 2024. URL: http://legacy.tropicos.org/Project/FM
; Kirkbride et al. 2006Kirkbride et al. 2006:
Kirkbride JH, Jr, Gunn CR, and Dallwitz MJ. 2006. Family guide for fruits and seeds, vers. 1.0. Accessed September 2020-January 2022. URL: https://nt.ars-grin.gov/seedsfruits/keys/frsdfam/index.cfm .
; Kubitzki et al. 1990+Kubitzki et al. 1990+:
Kubitzki K et al., eds. 1990+. The families and genera of vascular plants. 7+ vols. Berlin etc.
; Lock 1985Lock 1985:
Lock JM. 1985. Zingiberaceae. In: Polhill RM, ed. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Vol 197. AA Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands. 40 pp.
; Stevenson and Loconte 1995Stevenson and Loconte 1995:
Stevenson DW and Loconte H. 1995. A cladistic analysis of monocot families. In: Rudall PJ, Cribb PJ, Cutler DF, and Humphries CJ, eds. Monocotyledons: Systematics and Evolution. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
; Takhtajan 2009Takhtajan 2009:
Takhtajan A. 2009. Flowering plants: Second edition. Springer Nature, Switzerland. 871 pp.
; Thiele and Adams 2014Thiele and Adams 2014:
Thiele KR and Adams LG. 2014. Families of Flowering Plants of Australia. Accessed January-December 2021. URL: https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/FFPA/key/FFPA/Media/Html/index.htm
; Watson and Dallwitz 1992+Watson and Dallwitz 1992+:
Watson L and Dallwitz MJ. 1992+. The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 6th Accessed September 2020-September 2022. URL: delta-intkey.com
; Zhengyi et al. 2004+Zhengyi et al. 2004+:
Zhengyi W, Raven PH, and Deyuan H. 2004+. Flora of China [online]. 25 vols. Science Press, Beijing China & Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis USA. Accessed January–March 2024. http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016Christenhusz and Byng 2016:
Christenhusz MJM and Byng JW. 2016. The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa 261 (3): 201-217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1
, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.

  Fruits, seeds:   Aframomum  sp.;nbsp;Photo by N. Diaz, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

Fruits, seeds: Aframomum sp.; Photo by N. Diaz, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

  Seeds:   Aframomum melegueta ;nbsp;Photo by A. Margina, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

Seeds: Aframomum melegueta; Photo by A. Margina, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

  Seeds:   Aframomum melegueta ;nbsp;Photo by A. Margina, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

Seeds: Aframomum melegueta; Photo by A. Margina, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

  Seed, embryo:   Aframomum melegueta , longitudinal section of seed exposing embryo;nbsp;Photo by A. Margina, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org
Seed, embryo: Aframomum melegueta, longitudinal section of seed exposing embryo; Photo by A. Margina, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org
  Inflorescence:   Alpinia purpurata ;nbsp;Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, bugwood.org

Inflorescence: Alpinia purpurata; Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, bugwood.org

  Fruit:   Alpinia  sp.;nbsp;Photo by K. Rock, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.imageID.org

Fruit: Alpinia sp.; Photo by K. Rock, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.imageID.org

  Fruit, seeds:   Alpinia  sp.;nbsp;Photo by K. Rock,nbsp;USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.imageID.org

Fruit, seeds: Alpinia sp.; Photo by K. Rock, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.imageID.org

  Seeds:   Alpinia  sp.;nbsp;Photo by K. Rock, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.imageID.org

Seeds: Alpinia sp.; Photo by K. Rock, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.imageID.org

  Seeds:   Alpinia latilabris ;nbsp;Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

Seeds: Alpinia latilabris; Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

  Seeds:   Hedychium gardnerianum ;nbsp;Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

Seeds: Hedychium gardnerianum; Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

  Embryo:   Hedychium gardnerianum ;nbsp;Illustration by K. Parker, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

Embryo: Hedychium gardnerianum; Illustration by K. Parker, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

  Fruit, seeds:   Cucurma  sp.;nbsp;Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

Fruit, seeds: Cucurma sp.; Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

  Seeds:   Cucurma  sp.;nbsp;Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

Seeds: Cucurma sp.; Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

  Fruit:   Elettaria cardamomum ;nbsp;Photo by A. Margina, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

Fruit: Elettaria cardamomum; Photo by A. Margina, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

  Fruit, seeds:   Elettaria cardamomum , fresh fruit;nbsp;Photo by N. Diaz, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

Fruit, seeds: Elettaria cardamomum, fresh fruit; Photo by N. Diaz, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

  Fruit, seeds:   Elettaria cardamomum ;nbsp;Photo by A. Margina, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

Fruit, seeds: Elettaria cardamomum; Photo by A. Margina, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

  Seed:   Elettaria cardamomum , fresh seed, view of hilum and raphe;nbsp;Photo by N. Diaz, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

Seed: Elettaria cardamomum, fresh seed, view of hilum and raphe; Photo by N. Diaz, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org

  Fruit:   Rhynchanthus beesianus ;nbsp;Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

Fruit: Rhynchanthus beesianus; Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

  Seeds:   Rhynchanthus beesianus ;nbsp;Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)
Seeds: Rhynchanthus beesianus; Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)
  Fruit:   Riedelia  sp.;nbsp;Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

Fruit: Riedelia sp.; Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

  Seeds:   Riedelia  sp., seed clusters;nbsp;Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

Seeds: Riedelia sp., seed clusters; Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

  Seeds:   Wurfbainia villosa , seed cluster;nbsp;Photo by N. Diaz, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org
Seeds: Wurfbainia villosa, seed cluster; Photo by N. Diaz, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org
  Fruit:   Zingiber officinale ;nbsp;Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

Fruit: Zingiber officinale; Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

  Seeds:   Zingiber officinale,  with aril and without;nbsp;Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

Seeds: Zingiber officinale, with aril and without; Photo by R. Gibbons, USDA APHIS PPQ, Kirkbride et al. (2006)

  Fruits, seeds:  Zingiberaceae;nbsp;Photo by A. Margina, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org
Fruits, seeds: Zingiberaceae; Photo by A. Margina, USDA APHIS PPQ, imageID.idtools.org