Zingiberaceae
Ginger family
The ginger family of aromatic herbs with underground rhizomes. A major source of culinary spices and medicines: ginger (Zingiber), turmeric (Curcuma), cardamom (Elettaria), and galangal. Known for showy bracts and irregular flowers with a prominent labellum.
Browse all 42 species ↓
Aromatic rhizomatous herbs with two-ranked leaves on long sheathing stalks; only one stamen in the flower is fertile, while the rest are transformed into a large, showy petal-like lip (labellum) that does the work of attracting pollinators.
Rhizomes throughout the family are packed with essential oils and pungent compounds — the source of ginger, turmeric, and cardamom as both spices and traditional medicines.
Which Zingiberaceae species is this?
Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Zingiberaceae species.
How to recognise the Zingiberaceae family
- 01
Aromatic rhizomes with essential oils
- 02
Sheathing leaf bases, ligulate leaves
- 03
One fertile stamen; labellum often showy
To check whether a plant belongs to Zingiberaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.
Learn the full family-identification methodTypical leaf characters
Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.
Typical flower & fruit
- Flower symmetryZygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- InflorescenceSpike
- FruitCapsule
Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.
Notable members
Families that can look similar
Orchidaceae
Compare against Orchidaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare OrchidaceaeCommelinaceae
Compare against Commelinaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare CommelinaceaeBalsaminaceae
Compare against Balsaminaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare BalsaminaceaeLiliaceae
Compare against Liliaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare LiliaceaeAll 42 species in ZINGIBERACEAE
- Lesser Galangal, Snap GingerAlpinia calcarata
- Greater Galangal, Java Galangal; Siamese GingerAlpinia galanga
- Malacca GingerAlpinia malaccensis
- Allugha GalangalAlpinia nigra
- Red GingerAlpinia purpurata
- Light Galangal, Pink Porcelain Lily, Shell Ginger, Shell Flower, Shell PlantAlpinia zerumbet
- Nilgiri FingerrootBoesenbergia tiliifolia
- East Indian Arrow Root, Travancore StarchCurcuma angustifolia
- Wild Turmeric, Cochin Turmeric, Yellow ZedoaryCurcuma aromatica
- Deceptive CurcumaCurcuma decipiens
- Carnatic CurcumaCurcuma karnatakensis
- TurmericCurcuma longa
- Nilgiri TurmericCurcuma neilgherrensis
- Hill TurmericCurcuma pseudomontana
- Vaman TurmericCurcuma vamana
- CardamomElettaria cardamomum
- Red Torch Ginger, Torch GingerEtlingera elatior
- Dancing MarantinaGlobba marantina
- Dancing Girl GingerGlobba schomburgkii
- Butterfly Lily, Common Ginger Lily, Butterfly Ginger Lily, Garland Flower, White GingerHedychium coronarium
- Yellow Ginger LilyHedychium flavescens
- Spiked Ginger LilyHedychium spicatum
- Aromatic GingerKaempferia galanga
- Anamalai GingerZingiber anamalayanum
- Curved-Stem GingerZingiber cernuum
- Neesam GingerZingiber neesanum
- GingerZingiber officinale
- Rosy GingerZingiber roseum
- Wild Ginger, Stone Ginger, Bitter Ginger, Broad-Leaved Ginger, Pine Cone Ginger, Shampoo Ginger, Zerumbet GingerZingiber zerumbet
- Alpinia fax
- Amomum muricatum
- Amomum pterocarpum
- Boesenbergia pulcherrima
- Curcuma aeruginosa
- Curcuma ecalcarata
- Curcuma mutabilis
- Curcuma oligantha var. lutea
- Curcuma oligantha var. oligantha
- Globba bulbifera
- Globba ophioglossa
- Hitchenia caulina
- Zingiber diwakarianum
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