ZINGIBERACEAE
It is a family of flowering plants consisting of
aromatic perennial herbs with creeping
horizontal or tuberous rhizomes
comprising of 52 genera and more than 1300
species.
HABIT:
Plants are perennial herbs with
creeping horizontal or tuberous rhizomes and
thickened roots which usually contain
secretion sacs which have volatile oil.
HABITAT:
It is widely distributed
throughout tropical Africa, Asia, and
the Americas
STEM:
Frequently have sympodial (forked)
fleshy rhizomes (underground stems).
.
LEAVES:
Leaves are either radical or alternate,
simple, elliptical, Pinnately veined or parallel
veined.
The petiole generally form a sheath. The leaf
sheaths are folded tightly around each other
so as to give the appearance of a stem
INFLORESCENCE:
Raceme or spike or may be solitary
FLOWER:
Trimerous , Epigenous,
Hermaphrodite, Zygomorphic
COROLLA:
3 petals, elongated often fused below
and superior
CALYX:
3 sepals, small green superior often
united.
ANDROCEIUM:
6 stamens, abortive and petaloid only 1
is functional
GYNAECIUM:
Tricarpillary, syncarpous, trilocular may
be unilocular with parietal placentation and
terminal style inferior.
FRUIT:
A capsule
CURCUMA
BOTANICAL ORIGION: Curcuma longa
Common Name: Curcuma, turmeric, Haldi,
Yellow root
Part used: Dried Rhizome
Habit: Perennial herb
Habitat: Native to Southern Asia cultivated in
India, China, Indonesia.
Constituents:
Contains volatile oil 5% , a
crystalline colouring matter; Curcumin I along
with small amount of
Curcumin II
Curcumin III
Resin
Volatile oil is composed of
Cineole
Borneol
Phellandrene
Sabinene along with other constituents
like turmerone, arabinose, fructose,
glucose.
MEDICINAL USES
Analgesic
Carminative
Antispasmodic
Antioxidant
Anti inflammatory
Curcumin has a protective effect on liver tissue
exposed to liver damaging drugs
Its antibacterial action prevents the bacterial
wound infections thus helps in wound
healing.
GINGER
BOTANICAL ORIGION: Zingiber officinale
Common Name: Zingiber, Ginger root or
rhizome.
Part used: Dried Rhizome or roots
Habit: Perennial herb
Habitat: Native to Southern Asia cultivated
tropical countries like India, China, Japan, West
indies.
Constituents:
Contains volatile oil 1-2% , pungent
resinous mass and starch.
Oleoresin is reponsible for the aromatic
odour and pungency consisting of 2
ketones, zingerone and shogaol.
The principle constituents of volatile oil are 3
sesquiterpenes that is zingiberene,
zingiberol and bisabolene
MEDICINAL USES
Carminative
Antispasmodic
Antioxidant
Antiseptic
As condiment
stimulant
