Zingiberaceae Martinov

Zingiberaceae is a pan-tropical family comprising 53 genera and c.1300 species. Zingiberaceae is divided into four sub-families, Zingiberoideae, Alpinioideae, Siphonochiloideae and Tamijioideae. Zingiberaceae are perennial aromatic herbs with distichous leaves and a tuberous or creeping rhizomes. The delicate flowers are strongly zygomorphic with a single stamen and a petaloid labellum of staminodal origin. The inferior ovary is tri-locular with parietal or axile placentation.