Accession Data

Alpinia galanga

Common Name: Greater Galangal

Family: Zingiberaceae

Country of Origin: S. China to W. & C. Malesia

Description: Aromatic perennial herb over 2 m high. Leaves large, oblong-lanceolate. Petiole short, pubescent. Ligule entire, hairy. Inflorescence terminal, 25-30 cm long, peduncle densely pubescent. Bracts membranous and deciduous. Flower pedicellate, calyx cylindrical, greenish-white. Labellum ungiculate in the lower half, white with a few oblique lilac lines on either side of the midrib. Anther thecae light green to yellow. Epigynous glands irregularly lobed with rounded apices. Ovary ellipsoid. Fruit globose, seeds few.³

Uses: The rhizomes are bitter, acrid, thermogenic, aromatic, nervine tonic, stimulant, revulsive, carminative, stomachic, disinfectant, aphrodisiac, expectorant, broncho-dilator, antifungal, febrifuge, anti-inflammatory and tonic. The rhizome is stimulant, carminative and laxative and is useful in flatulence, dyspepsia, vomiting and sickness of the stomach.³

Accession Data

Accession #: 201900116

Accession Date: 2019-07-10

Bloom Status: 🪴 Not Flowering

Location: 3210

Quantity: 1

Source: Kress Collection, SI#2002079

Provenance:

Kress# 02-7084
Kress, W. J., Thet Htun, Bordelon, M., Sein Tun
Myanmar: Kachin State: Moe Hnyin Township
NE corner of Indawgyi Lake, 2 miles east of Lake.
25.1808, 96.4058
27-FEB-2002
living only;  common name: Padegaw;  deposited: US
herb; Shoots to 1.2 m, leaves green, pubescent below with red bases; rhizome with strong odor.

Classification

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Liliopsida

Subclass: commelinids

Order: Zingiberales

Family: Zingiberaceae

SubFamily: Alpinioideae

Tribe: Alpinieae

References

The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Saturday, 04 May, 2019.
WCSP (2019). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on Saturday, 04 May, 2019.
Kumar KM, Asish GR, Sabu M, Balachandran I. , Significance of gingers (Zingiberaceae) in Indian System of Medicine - Ayurveda: An overview. Anc Sci Life. 2013;32(4):253–261. doi:10.4103/0257-7941.131989. Last accessed on Wednesday, 22 May, 2019.
Medicinal Plants Names Service at Kew. Last accessed on Wednesday, 22 May, 2019.
Image #00 (cropped) & #01 (original) used with the permission of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th and Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20560-0193. Last accessed on Tuesday, 16 July, 2019.

Images