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Gingers are a common feature of tropical flora. Used as ornaments, spices or medicinal preparations, they vary in height and size. The Etlingera eliator(commonly known as rojak in Malay) can grow to more than 8 meters in height while certain species remain close to ground level. All ginger species are perennial herbs with an underground stem called rhizome, usually aromatic and consumed in mixtures as food or medicine.
The edible ginger found in commerce is known botanically as Zingiber officinale, probably originating from the Arabic word Zanjabil and the sanskit word Singabera. The origin of Zingiber officinale is unknown. It could have been cultivated in India or China ages ago and later introduced to South-East Asia. In ancient times, this was one of the most commonly traded spices.
Zinziber gives its name to the whole ginger family, known as Zingiberaceae. The family is comprised of more than 1,000 species, the large majority of which can be found in tropical Asia. Zingiberaceae is part of the order of Zinberales, which is comprised of eight families:
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Musaceae |
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Zingiberaceae |
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Lowiaceae |
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Costaceae |
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Heliconiacae |
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Cannaceae |
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Strelitziaceae |
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Marantaceae |
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The Zingiberaceae family is itself comprised of tribes: Globbeae, Zingibereae, Hedychieae, Alpinieae. Gingers are abundant in the lowlands and hill forests between 200m and 500m above sea level. They have been part of Asian culture since ancient times in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and their neighboring countries.
Gingers are truly amazing plants. An essential feature of South-East Asia flora, their diversity and biology have still not been completely understood or documented; new species are still being discovered. PRINCESS D'ÂN-NAM is proud to contribute to the bio-diversity of Vietnam Binh Thuan province by bringing its unique collection of gingers to the bay of Ke Ga, one of the most scenic locations in Vietnam.
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