Alpinia allughas

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Alpinia allughas incorrectly spelled as Alpinia allhugas belongs to the Ginger family (Zingiberaceae). It is a synonym of the species Alpinia nigra (Gaertn.) B. L. Burtt. DNA sequence-based methods have shown that this genus is polyphyletic. It is represented by six clades distributed across the tribe Alpinieae. Further research is needed to specify the taxa in this genus.

The plants are native to SE Asia and are grown for their ornamental flashy flowers.

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• Species identity and nomenclature
• Current Wikipedia entry
• Binomial Classification
• Morphological features
• Habitat and Geographical Spread
• Maps
• Medicinal Importance
• Cultural significance
• Commercial importance and cultivation
• Summary of PubMed articles
• Summary of NCBI molecular data
• External Links
• Images and Videos

Parameter	Value(s)	References See complete references in the References section at the end
Names of users who have contributed to this species page	Gauravm
Date on which this page was first created	2010/08/27
This page was last modified on:	6 September 2010 14:35:41
Name of the species	Alpinia allughas
ID on Encyclopedia of Life
Synonyms	Please check Binomial Classification section for synonyms.
Common English Names	Tara
Common Hindi Names	Tara (Bengali)
Common Indian names	Tara (Bengali); Tara (Assamese)	Plants of India
Origins/Meanings of the common names

Taxonomy from Encyclopedia of Life

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Taxonomy filled in form

Angiosperm phylogeny. This image is copyrighted. Rights owned by Theodore C.H.Cole (Heidelberg) and Hartmut H. Hilger (Berlin) 2010. Please obtain copyright permissions before reuse.
Click here for the PDF of the phylogeny

Taxon	Value
Regnum (Kingdom)	Plantae
Division	Magnoliophyta
Class	Liliopsida
Order	Zingiberales
Family	Zingiberaceae
Genus	Alpinia
Source of data	Encyclopedia of Life

Other closely related species

Species Division Common name Common Hindi name Aloe vera Aloe vera, Medicinal aloe, Burn plant Gheekumari घीकुमारी Acacia nilotica Arabic Gum, Black Piquant, Egyptian thorn, Prickly acacia बबूल Babool,कीकर Kikar Saraca indica Ashoka अशोक Ashok … further results

Division	Taxon details	Taxon morphology details
Magnoliophyta	Also called Angiospermae. The ancestors of flowering plants diverged from gymnosperms around 245–202 million years ago, and the first flowering plants known to exist are from 140 million years ago. They diversified enormously during the Lower Cretaceous and became widespread around 100 million years ago, but replaced conifers as the dominant trees only around 60-100 million years ago.	These are seed plants like Gymnosperms, but can be differentiated by the presence of flowers, seeds containing endosperm and seeds that produce a fruit. Angiosperms are the most diverse and highly evolutionarily successful group of land plants.

Species Class Common name Common Hindi name Aloe vera Liliopsida Aloe vera, Medicinal aloe, Burn plant Gheekumari घीकुमारी Zingiber rubens Liliopsida Bengal Ginger Elettaria cardamomum Liliopsida Cardamom, Green cardamom इलाएची Elaichi … further results

Class	Taxon details	Taxon morphology details
Liliopsida	Liliopsida is considered the scientific name for monocots, but monocots may be called differently based on different taxonomic classification systems. Based on chloroplast DNA sequences, the divergence date between monocots and dicots is estimated to be ~200 million years, with a 40 million years uncertainty. There are ~50000-60000 species of monocots, with the largest family being Orchidaceae (orchids) consisting of ~20000 species. The true grasses (Poaceae) are the most economically important family, with 70% of the crops being cultivated belonging to this family.	The following features distinguish monocots from dicots - 1) Three flower parts in each flower (vs 4-5 in dicots) 2) One pore in pollen (vs 3) 3) One cotyledon (vs 2) 4) Vascular bundles in stem scattered (vs concentric circles) 5) Adventitious roots (vs radicle-origin) 6) Parallel venation (vs reticulate) These broad distinguishing features indeed have some exceptions

Species Order Common name Common Hindi name Zingiber rubens Zingiberales Bengal Ginger Elettaria cardamomum Zingiberales Cardamom, Green cardamom इलाएची Elaichi Curcuma longa Zingiberales Common Turmeric हल्दी Haldi … further results

Species Family Common name Common Hindi name Zingiber rubens Zingiberaceae Bengal Ginger Elettaria cardamomum Zingiberaceae Cardamom, Green cardamom इलाएची Elaichi Curcuma longa Zingiberaceae Common Turmeric हल्दी Haldi … further results

Family	Taxon details	Taxon morphology details
Zingiberaceae	Zingiberaceae split off from the genus Costaceae ~79 or ~100 million years ago, based on two estimates (Kress06,Janssen04). The family consists of over 93 genera and over 2000 different species, with the center of diversity in South-East Asia.	Small to large herbaceous plants, distichous leaves with basal sheaths that overlap to form a pseudostem. Plants are either self-supporting or epiphytic. Flowers are hermaphroditic, usually strongly zygomorphic (bilateral symmetry), in determinate cymose inflorescences, with conspicuous, spirally arranged bracts. The perianth is composed of two whorls, a fused tubular calyx, and a tubular corolla with one lobe larger than the other two. Flowers typically have two of their stamenoids (sterile stamens) fused to form a petaloid lip, and have only one fertile stamen. The ovary is inferior and topped by two nectaries, the stigma is funnel-shaped.

Species Genus Common name Common Hindi name Alpinia calcarata Alpinia Snap Ginger, Cardamom ginger, Indian ginger कुलंजन Kulanjan Alpinia allughas Alpinia Tara Tara (Bengali)

Based on classification

Family	Taxon details	Taxon morphology details
Zingiberaceae	Zingiberaceae split off from the genus Costaceae ~79 or ~100 million years ago, based on two estimates (Kress06,Janssen04). The family consists of over 93 genera and over 2000 different species, with the center of diversity in South-East Asia.	Small to large herbaceous plants, distichous leaves with basal sheaths that overlap to form a pseudostem. Plants are either self-supporting or epiphytic. Flowers are hermaphroditic, usually strongly zygomorphic (bilateral symmetry), in determinate cymose inflorescences, with conspicuous, spirally arranged bracts. The perianth is composed of two whorls, a fused tubular calyx, and a tubular corolla with one lobe larger than the other two. Flowers typically have two of their stamenoids (sterile stamens) fused to form a petaloid lip, and have only one fertile stamen. The ovary is inferior and topped by two nectaries, the stigma is funnel-shaped.

More details can be found in the Binomial Classification section.

Morphology from Encyclopedia of Life

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General morphology

Parameter	Value(s)	References See complete references in the References section at the end
General morphological features of the plant

Seed dispersal mechanism
Bloom type
Life cycle of the plant

How to identify this species

For a detailed description, refer to the General Morphology details above

Parameter	Value(s)	References See complete references in the References section at the end
Type of plant	Herb
Plant height
Flower color
Flower shape
Floral symmetry
Phyllotaxy of leaves
Leaf shape
Is the leaf petiolated or sessile?
Is the leaf simple or compound?

Parameter	Value(s)	References See complete references in the References section at the end
IUCN Conservation Status	Not Evaluated
Indian States in which the species has been documented	Assam,Manipur,Nagaland,Tripura	Plants of India
Locations at which the species has been documented	Majuli;Dharmanagar	Plants of India
Biotic zones inhabited	Northeastern Himalayas	Plants of India
Details about the habitat	This plant grows along banks of streams, canals and rivers. It is found in forests, marshy tracts, swamps and also in tea gardens	Plants of India
Is this species native to India?	Yes	Based on plants of India
Is the species indigenous/endemic to Sub-Himalayan regions?	Yes	Based on plants of India
Is the species indigenous/endemic to Western Ghats?
Is the species indigenous/endemic to Eastern Ghats?

More plants native to India Species name Common name Common Hindi name Plant type Native plant Biotic zone Abelmoschus moschatus Okra, Abelmosk, Ambrette seeds, Annual hibiscus, Bamia Moschata, Galu Gasturi, Muskdana, Musk mallow, Musk okra, Musk seeds, Ornamental okra, Rose mallow seeds, Tropical jewel hibiscus, Yorka okra मुश्कदाना Mushkdana, कस्तूरीदाना Kasturi-dana, जंगली भिंडी Jangli bhindi Acacia concinna Soap pod शिकाकाई Shikakai Woody (Tree/Shrub) Northeastern Himalayas Eastern Ghats Western Ghats Central Deccan Plateau East Coast West Coast Indo-Gangetic Plain Acrostichum aureum Golden leatherfern, Mangrove fern Fern Northeastern Himalayas Eastern Ghats East Coast Indo-Gangetic Plain Outlying Islands Aegle marmelos Bel, Beli fruit, Bengal quince, Stone apple, Wood apple बेल Bel Allium sativum Cultivated Garlic लेह्सन Lehsan … further results

If no maps are displayed below, it means the required data is absent. Click on "Edit with form" button on top of the page to add this information.
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Parameter	Value(s)	References See complete references in the References section at the end
Does this species have any medicinal use?	Yes

Other plants of the same family having medicinal use: Species name Common name Common Hindi name Family Ailment type Medicinal use description Alpinia allughas Tara Tara (Bengali) Zingiberaceae The plant is used in Chinese folk medicine Alpinia calcarata Snap Ginger, Cardamom ginger, Indian ginger कुलंजन Kulanjan Zingiberaceae Pains and Inflammation Alpinia calcarata is used atleast in Sri Lanka as a folk medicine for pain relief. Some studies from University of Colombo have tried to study the effect of ethanolic extracts and hot water extracts on reproductive competence and pain relief in rats. Curcuma longa Common Turmeric हल्दी Haldi Zingiberaceae Infectious diseases Accidents Pains and Inflammation Common ailments Systemic disorders Organ-specific disorders Cancer Although several studies have shown efficacy of using turmeric for many diseases, reliable scientific evidence is lacking for many conditions. The important active component is a polyphenol called Curcumin. It has been shown to have antioxidant, antibiotic, antitumor, antiamyloid, antiischemic and antiinflammatory properties. See molecular details more more specific mode of action. … further results

Parameter	Value(s)	References See complete references in the References section at the end
General types of ailments this species is used for treating
Specific ailments for which the species is used
Medicinal systems which use this plant	Folk Medicine	GRIN
Details of Medicinal use	The plant is used in Chinese folk medicine	GRIN
Parts of the plant used for treatment
Names of some medicinal active compounds in this plant, if known.
Details of the active chemical compounds found in this plant
Is the molecular basis of the medicinal action known?
Details of molecular basis of action
Are the toxic effects of consumption of this plant known?
Details of the toxic effects of the plant species
Have there been validation/clinical studies related to this plant?
Details of the clinical studies related to the plant species

Parameter	Value(s)	References See complete references in the References section at the end
Is this plant/plant-derived product used in food preparations?
Part(s) of the plant used in the food preparations
Details of use in food preparations
Does this species have any religious significance?
Religions which mention/give significance to this species
Religious occasions
Details of religious use

Parameter	Value(s)	References See complete references in the References section at the end
Is this plant cultivated commercially in India?
Uses for which the plant is commercially cultivated
Plant parts of commercial value
Products where this plant is used		User-reported
Description of use
States where this plant is cultivated commercially
Best period for planting this plant
Best period for harvesting this plant
Method of propagation
Water requirement of this plant
Pests and Diseases affecting this plant during cultivation
Other considerations while cultivating this plant

Pubmed Word cloud

This word cloud is obtained using the tool LigerCat by searching the Pubmed database. LigerCat builds the cloud from the most relevant Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms. Each term's relative size indicates how many times it appears in the PubMed search results. Click on a term to access the full LigerCat cloud, with live PubMed search capabilities. LigerCat has been developed for the Biology of Aging Project.

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• If there is an error message below, it means that there is no retrievable information available on NCBI
  
• If the number of nucleotide sequences is less than 100, very little genomic work has been done on this species. A respectable number of nucleotide sequences is above 10000.
• Most of the nucleotide sequences may come from three sources:

1. Studies on single genes, where people try to sequence genes such as some specific dehydrogenases important,say, for tannin production
2. Sequences of Ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer, whose sequence is used for generating molecular phylogenetic trees to establish species relationships
3. Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) which can tell about which genes are present and expressed in the species at a particular time in the given tissue

{{#queryDB:taxonomy |Alpinia allughas }}

Parameter	Value(s)	References See complete references in the References section at the end
Details of modern scientific knowledge available for this species
Are herbarium specimen available for this species?
Institutes having herbarium samples

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References

Plants of India (Web): Plants of India entry, Accessdate=2010-08-27

GRIN (Web): ARS-GRIN entry, Accessdate=2010-08-27