ZINGIBERACEAE

-
            1. SYSTEMATIC POSITION:
            Bentham & Hooker
            Division: Phanerogames (Seed Plants)
                 Class: Monocotyledones
                        Series: Epigynae
                               Family: Zingiberaceae (Scitamineae)
           
            2. MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS:
            Habit – Perennial herbs with creeping or tuberous rootstocks (rhizome).
            Leaves – Simple, petiolate or sessile, sheathing, entire, linear, lanceolate or broader, radical or cauline, ligule prominent.
            Inflorescence – Solitary, in heads, bracteates spikes or panicles.
            Flower – Hermaphrodite, zygomorphic, epigynous.
            Perianth – Tepals 6, arranged in two whorls, of-course distinguishable into calyx and corolla.
            Androecium – Stamens 6, in 2 whorls, only median posterior stamen of the inner whorl is functional and epipetalous, the other two stamens of the inner whorl are united to form a 2-lipped labellum, an anterior stamen of the outer whorl is absent and the remaining 2 modified into petaloid staminodes or absent.
            Gynoecium – Tricarpellary, syncarpous, inferior, trilocular or unilocular, ovules numerous, placentation axile, style and stigma 1.
            Fruit – A capsule.
            Seed – Arillate.
               4. COMPARATIVE SYSTEMATIC POSITION AND AFFINITIES:
            Engler & Prantl have included the families Zingiberaceae, Musaceae, Cannaceae and Marantaceae in the order Scitamineae. The family was included in the order Zingiberales by Hutchinson, Cronquist and Takhtajan.
            Zingiberaceae is closely related to Musaceae in habit, zygomorphic flower and inferior ovary. However, due to the reduction of androecium, Zingiberaceae have been considered to be more advanced. The family Zingiberaceae is also considered to be related to Liliaceae and Commeliaceae.
               5. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE:
            1. The family is economically important for its spice value. Economically valued spices are – Zingiber officinale (Zinger), Curcuma longa (Turmeric), C. amada (Mango ginger), Elletaria cardamomum (True cardamom), Amomum subulum (Nepal cardamom), Costus spp., Hedychium spp., Alpinia spp., Kaempferia spp., etc.
            2. Cucurma zedoaria and Costus speciosus are used as medicine.
            3. Common ornamental garden plants are – Hedychium coronarium and Kaempferia rotunda.
           
*************

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EQUISETUM - CLASSIFICATION, STRUCTURE OF SPOROPHYTE, REPRODUCTION, STRUCTURE OF GAMETOPHYTE AND FERTILIZATION

-
Image
A. CLASSIFICATION: Division – Sphenophyta     Class – Sphenopsida        Order – Equisitales            Family – Equisitaceae               Genus – Equisetum Equisetum commonly known as horsetails comprises about 25 species and is world-wide in distribution. Equisetum can grow in wide variety of habitats. Some species grow in damp and shaded places, others grow in ponds and marshes or in sandy soil, near the banks of rivers, etc. Some others are found to grow in exposed dry habitats, along the road side and railway embankments. Some of the common Indian species of Equisetum are – Equisetum debile , E. arvense , E. Diffusum , E. elongatum , etc. B. STRUCTURE OF THE SPOROPHYTE: 1. External structure:- The sporophyte, i.e., the plant body is well differentiated into – stem, leaves and roots – Stem – The stem is underground, horizontal and much branched, which often penetrates more than a meter into the soil. The rhoizome is jointed and provided with nodes and
Read more

PUCCINIA - CLASSIFICATION, VEGETATIVE STRUCTURE, REPRODUCTION, ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

-
Image
            A. CLASSIFICATION Division – Mycota       Sub-division – Eumycotina             Class – Basidiomycetes                   Sub-class – Heterobasidiomycetidae                        Order – Uredinales                              Family – Pucciniaceae                                   Genus – Puccinia             The genus Puccinia is cosmopolitan in distribution and is a parasitic fungus causing diseases on many crop plants such as wheat, barley, oats, etc., and causes great loses to the cultivated crops. Puccinia is an obligate fungal parasite and are commonly known as ‘rust fungi’ because they produce ‘rust-like’, i.e., reddish-brown coloured spores in the form of rusty spots or streaks on stems, leaf-sheaths, leaves, etc., of the host plants.             The genus includes about 3000 species. Out of these, 147 species have been reported from India. Wheat rust disease has been extensively studied in India and is found to be caused by three different
Read more

SELAGINELLA - CLASSIFICATION, STRUCTURE OF SPOROPHYTE, REPRODUCTION, STRUCTURE OF GAMETOPHYTE, FERTILIZATION, MORPHOLOGY OF RHIZOPHORE OF SELAGINELLA

-
Image
A. CLASSIFICATION: Division – Lycophyta      Class – Lycopsida          Order – Selaginellales              Family – Selaginellaceae                  Genus – Selaginella The genus Selaginella is commonly known as “ Club-moss ” or “ Spike-moss ”. Selaginella is a large genus comprising about 700 species and is world-wide in distribution. Some species of Selaginella are found to grow in temperate regions but majority of them are found to occur in the rain forests of tropical countries. The species of Selaginella is found to grow on the ground, on damp, shaded and humid conditions. Some species are also occurs in arid regions of the world. Temperate species are found to grow on damp shaded sides of the hills. About 55 species are found to occur in India. Of these the common species are S. rupestris, S. chrysocaulos, S. pallidissima, S. jacquemonth, S. megaphylla, S. pentagona , etc. B. STRUCTURE OF THE SPOROPHYTE: 1. External structure:- The sporophyte, i.e., t
Read more