Alpinia calcarata
From Biodiversity of India
Navigation
Read community contributed articles on biodiversity & environment || Cultural practices & mythological stories related to Indian biodiversity || Official documents related to environment || NGOs, Blogs and Websites || Environment-related video collection || Plants of India || Mammals of India || Facebook || Twitter
Read community contributed articles on biodiversity & environment || Cultural practices & mythological stories related to Indian biodiversity || Official documents related to environment || NGOs, Blogs and Websites || Environment-related video collection || Plants of India || Mammals of India || Facebook || Twitter
Share this page: Alpinia calcarata
Species name: Alpinia calcarata
Alpinia calcarata or Snap Ginger is a plant native to India. It is less common in other parts of the world. Its mainly grown as an ornamental plant.
Click here to see all Semantic Properties associated with this page
Please note that the above slideshow is automatically created by searching Flickr and does not contain manually curated images. Hence, it is likely that some images may not be exactly of Alpinia calcarata.
Click on the tabs below to know more...
[edit]
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
- 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 | 2010/08/15 | |
| This page was last modified on: | 6 September 2010 14:36:55 | |
| Name of the species | Alpinia calcarata | |
| ID on Encyclopedia of Life | ||
| Synonyms | Please check Binomial Classification section for synonyms. | |
| Common English Names | Snap Ginger, Cardamom ginger, Indian ginger | |
| Common Hindi Names | कुलंजन Kulanjan | |
| Common Indian names | कुलंजन Kulanjan (Hindi);Aratta (Malayalam);Chikkadumparaasme (Kannada);Toroni (Oriya);Rasna, सुगंधमूल Sugandhamoola, Kulanjana (Sanskrit) | Flowers of India |
| Origins/Meanings of the common names |
Taxonomy from Encyclopedia of Life
If nothing is displayed in this section, it means the EoL ID has not been defined. Please click on Edit with form button on top and follow the instructions for filling in the EoL ID
{{#EoLOnlyHierarchy:}}
Taxonomy filled in form
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 | ' |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| 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. |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| 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. |
|
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
If nothing is displayed in this section, it means the EoL ID has not been defined. Please click on Edit with form button on top and follow the instructions for filling in the EoL ID
{{#EoLOnlyDescription:}}
General morphology
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| General morphological features of the plant | Pseudostems to 1.3 m. Leaves sessile; ligule 8--15 mm, glabrous, apex obtuse; leaf blade linear-lanceolate, 20--32 × 2--3.5 cm or narrower, glabrous, base attenuate, margin with well-spaced, short bristles, apex acuminate and caudate-mucronate. Panicles less than 10 cm; rachis slightly velvety; proximal branches 3- or 4-flowered; bracteoles oblong, to 1.7 cm, membranous, apex obtuse. Pedicel ca. 3 mm. Calyx to 1.2 cm, split on 1 side, pubescent, apex 3-toothed. Corolla tube white, ca. 9 mm; lobes oblong, ca. 2.2 cm. Lateral staminodes red, subulate, ca. 3 mm, adnate to base of labellum. Labellum white with rose red and purple streaks, obovate, 2.7--3.5 × 1.5--2 cm, apex emarginate. Filament ca. 1.3 cm; anther 5--7 mm. Ovary 3--4 mm in diam., sericeous. Capsule red, globose. Fl. May. 2 n = 48*."Pseudostems to 1.3 m. Leaves sessile; ligule 8--15 mm, glabrous, apex obtuse; leaf blade linear-lanceolate, 20--32 × 2--3.5 cm or narrower, glabrous, base attenuate, margin with well-spaced, short bristles, apex acuminate and caudate-mucronate. Panicles less than 10 cm; rachis slightly velvety; proximal branches 3- or 4-flowered; bracteoles oblong, to 1.7 cm, membranous, apex obtuse. Pedicel ca. 3 mm. Calyx to 1.2 cm, split on 1 side, pubescent, apex 3-toothed. Corolla tube white, ca. 9 mm; lobes oblong, ca. 2.2 cm. Lateral staminodes red, subulate, ca. 3 mm, adnate to base of labellum. Labellum white with rose red and purple streaks, obovate, 2.7--3.5 × 1.5--2 cm, apex emarginate. Filament ca. 1.3 cm; anther 5--7 mm. Ovary 3--4 mm in diam., sericeous. Capsule red, globose. Fl. May. 2 n = 48*." cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. | Encylopedia of Life |
| Seed dispersal mechanism | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bloom type | Perennial | |
| 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 | 3 feet to 6 feet | Stokes |
| Flower color | Orange/Red | |
| Flower shape | ||
| Floral symmetry | ||
| Phyllotaxy of leaves | ||
| Leaf shape | Lanceolate | EoL |
| Is the leaf petiolated or sessile? | Sessile | EoL |
| Is the leaf simple or compound? | Simple | Based on images |
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| IUCN Conservation Status | Not Evaluated | EoL |
| Indian States in which the species has been documented | Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu,Tripura | Plants Database of India |
| Locations at which the species has been documented | ||
| Biotic zones inhabited | Central Deccan Plateau | Plants Database of India |
| Details about the habitat | Cultivated, Undergrowth forests | Plants Database of India |
| Is this species native to India? | Yes | EoL, Flowers of India |
| Is the species indigenous/endemic to Sub-Himalayan regions? | ||
| Is the species indigenous/endemic to Western Ghats? | ||
| Is the species indigenous/endemic to Eastern Ghats? |
More plants native to India
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.
{{#generateMap:Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu,Tripura|Alpiniacalcarata_brahma.svg|align=center}}
| 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:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| General types of ailments this species is used for treating | Pains and Inflammation | |
| Specific ailments for which the species is used | Bronchial catarrh, Indigestion, Stomach disorders, Cough, Common cold | SVM Catalog (untrusted) |
| Medicinal systems which use this plant | Folk Medicine | |
| Details of Medicinal use | 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. | Ratnasooriya06 |
| Parts of the plant used for treatment | Rhizome | SVM Catalog (untrusted) |
| 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? | No | |
| Details of molecular basis of action | ||
| Are the toxic effects of consumption of this plant known? | No | Google search, Pubmed |
| Details of the toxic effects of the plant species | ||
| Have there been validation/clinical studies related to this plant? | No | Google search, Pubmed |
| 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? | Yes | User-reported |
| Part(s) of the plant used in the food preparations | Rhizomes | |
| Details of use in food preparations | ||
| Does this species have any religious significance? | ||
| Religions which mention/give significance to this species | Stokes | |
| 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? | No | |
| 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.
The page may take some time to load since LigerCat is searching the entire PubMed database and sending us the results in real time.
- 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:
- Studies on single genes, where people try to sequence genes such as some specific dehydrogenases important,say, for tannin production
- Sequences of Ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer, whose sequence is used for generating molecular phylogenetic trees to establish species relationships
- 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 calcarata }}
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Details of modern scientific knowledge available for this species | 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. | Ratnasooriya06 |
| Are herbarium specimen available for this species? | ||
| Institutes having herbarium samples |
If nothing is displayed in this section, it means the EoL ID has not been defined. Please click on Edit with form button on top and follow the instructions for filling in the EoL ID
{{#EoLOnlyAdditionalInfo:}}
References
Ratnasooriya 06 (Journal) : Ratnasooriya and Jayakodi (Mar 2006),[tiab+OR+%22Alpinia+calcarata%22[MeSH+Terms]+OR+%28%22A.+calcarata%22[tiab]+AND+Alpinia[tiab]%29%29+AND+%28%222006%22[PDAT]%29 Effects of aqueous extract of Alpinia calcarata rhizomes on reproductive competence of male rats.], Acta Biol Hung:57(1):23. doi={{{doi}}}
Flowers of India (Web): Flowers of India entry on Snap Ginger, Accessdate=2010-08-14
Encylopedia of Life, EoL (Web): Encylopedia of Life entry on this species, Accessdate=2010-08-14
Stokes (Web): Stokes Tropical Plants, Accessdate=2010-08-19
SVM Catalog (untrusted) (Web): Indiabizclub catalog of SVM Exports, Accessdate=2010-08-19
| This article is a stub. You can help Project Brahma by expanding it. |
