Thai Zingiberaceae: Species diversity and their
uses*
Puangpen
Sirirugsa
Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand
Email: [email protected]
Abstract: Thailand is a country of high
plant biodiversity as a result of its geographical position in the
tropics and the climatic variation between north and south. There
are approximately 10,000 species and 400 families of vascular plants
in Thailand.
The family Zingiberaceae in Thailand includes some
200 species of rhizomatous, herbaceous plants which are important
sources of medicines and spices. However, the systematics of this
family still poses some problems, because it is often difficult
to handle the material when it is in a dried state. Flowers of the
ginger family which are the most important taxonomic character usually
do not last long and are often missed. Commercially and medicinally
important species include Zingiber officinale (ginger) and
Curcuma longa (turmeric).
Zingiber officinale, for example, has been
used for many years in traditional forms of medicine to treat a
variety of disease and, more recently, scientific study has sought
to reveal the bioactive compounds of the rhizome. It has been found,
amongst other benefits, to be effective in the treatment of thrombosis,
sea sickness, migraine and rheumatism.
The lecture includes information about the taxonomy
of the family Zingiberaceae, habitats of the various species and
a discussion of the uses of some representative species.
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