ORDER ZINGIBERALES

1- Introduction to Order Zingiberales

1.1- Overview
The Zingiberales are an order of flowering plants. The order has been widely recognised by the taxonomists, at least for the past few decades, and includes many familiar plants, such as ginger, cardamom, turmeric, galangal, and myoga of the Zingiberaceae or ginger family, and bananas and plantains of the Musaceae or banana family; arrowroot of the Marantaceae or arrowroot family, Ravenala with a single species in Madagascar, and Phenakospermum with a single species in northern South America forming Strelitziaceae family along with various types of Heliconias forming the Heliconiaceae family.
Species of the Zingiberales order, together with those of the Commelinales order, are thought to have evolved around 80 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous.

1.2- Classification systems
1.2.1- Cronquist system (1981)
The Cronquist system is a taxonomic classification system of flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in his texts An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants (1981) and The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants (1968; 2nd edition, 1988).
Cronquist's system places flowering plants into two broad classes, Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons) and Liliopsida (monocotyledons). Within these classes, related orders are grouped into subclasses.
The system as laid out in An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants (1981) counts 321 families and 64 orders in class Magnoliopsida and with 19 orders and 65 families in class Liliopsida.
+ Class Liliopsida
- Subclass Zingiberidae (with 2 Orders)
1- Order Bromeliales
1- Family Bromeliaceae
2- Order Zingiberales
1- Family Strelitziaceae
2- Family Heliconiaceae
3- Family Musaceae
4- Family Lowiaceae
5- Family Zingiberaceae (Ginger family)
6- Family Costaceae
7- Family Cannaceae
8- Family Marantaceae
The scheme is still widely used, in either the original form or in adapted versions, but some botanists are adopting the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III.
1.1.2- APG III system
The APG II system (2003) and the APG III system, of 2009, recognize this order and assign it to the clade commelinids, in the monocots. It is circumscribed as:
Order Zingiberales
1- Family Cannaceae (e.g.: Canna)
2- Family Costaceae (e.g.: Costus, Spiral Ginger)
3- Family Heliconiaceae (e.g.: Heliconias)
4- Family Lowiaceae (e.g.: Orchidantha)
5- Family Marantaceae (e.g.: Arrowroot)
6- Family Musaceae (e.g.: Banana, Ensete, Plantain)
7- Family Strelitziaceae (e.g.: Strelitzia, Ravenala, Phenakospermum)
8- Family Zingiberaceae (e.g.: ginger, cardamom, turmeric, galangal, Shell Ginger, myoga, Red Ginger, Summer Tulip)

2- Families of Order Zingiberales

  Classification depending on APG III System (2009)
2.1- Family Cannaceae
+ Overview
Cannaceae is the Family of Order Zingiberales. This family has one genus: Canna L.
Canna is the only genus in the family Cannaceae. The APG II system of 2003 also recognizes the family, and assigns it to the order Zingiberales in the clade commelinids, in the monocots.
The genus is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the New World, from the southern United States (southern South Carolina west to southern Texas) and south to northern Argentina.
The species have large, attractive foliage, and horticulturists have turned it into a large-flowered and bright garden plant. In addition, it is one of the world's richest starch sources, and is an agricultural plant.
+ Species of Genus Canna
See List of Canna species
See also:
  List of Canna cultivars
  List of Canna hybridists

2.2- Family Costaceae
+ Overview
Costaceae or the Costus Family is a family of pantropical monocots. They belong to the order Zingiberales, which contains other horticulturally and economically important plants such as the banana (Musaceae), bird-of-paradise (Strelitziaceae), and edible ginger (Zingiberaceae).
Costaceae are unique from other members of Zingiberales in that its species have 5 fused staminodes, rather than 2, and Costaceae contain no aromatic oils. The fused infertile stamen form a large petalloid labellum that often functions to attract pollinators. The flowers are generally solitary or aggregated in inflorescences. Inflorescences are arranged in a terminal head or spike, except for Monocostus. The simple leavesare entire and spirally arranged, with those toward base of the stem usually bladeless. Leaf bases have a closed sheath with a ligule, or projection at the top of the sheath. Fruit is a berry or capsule. The rhizome is fleshy with tuberous roots.
+ Classification
- Genera
Monocostus
Dimerocostus
Chamaecostus
Costus
Hellenia
Paracostus
Tapeinochilos
- Species
The seven genera contain about 100 species (1 in Monocostus, 2 in Dimerocostus, 16 in Tapeinochilos, 2 in Paracostus, ca. 8 in Chamaecostus, ca. 4 in Cheilocostus, ca. 80 in Costus) and are found in tropical climates of Asia, Africa, and Central/South America.

2.3- Family Heliconiaceae
+ Overview
Heliconiaceae is the Family of Order Zingiberales. This family has one genus: Heliconia L.
The Heliconia are a monophyletic genus in the family Heliconiaceae, but was formerly included in the family Musaceae, which includes the bananas (e.g., Musa, Ensete; Judd et al., 2007). However, the APG system of 1998, and its successor, the APG II system of 2003, confirm the Heliconiaceae as distinct and places them in the order Zingiberales, in the commelinid clade of monocots.
Heliconia, derived from the Greek word helikonios, is a genus of flowering plants in the Heliconiaceae. Most of the species are native to the tropical Americas, but a few are indigenous to certain islands of the western Pacific and Maluku. Many species of Heliconia are found in rainforests or tropical wet forests of these regions. Several species are widely cultivated as ornamentals, and a few are naturalized in Florida, Gambia and Thailand. Common names for the genus include lobster-claws, wild plantains or false bird-of-paradise. The last term refers to their close similarity to the bird-of-paradise flowers (Strelitzia). Collectively, these plants are also simply referred to as heliconias.
Heliconias are grown for the florist's trade and as landscape plants. These plants do not grow well in cold, dry conditions. They are very drought intolerant, but can endure some soil flooding. Heliconias need an abundance of water, sunlight, and soils that are rich in humus in order to grow well. These flowers are grown in tropical regions all over the world as ornamental plants (Ong, 2007). The flower of H. psittacorum (Parrot Heliconia) is especially distinctive, its greenish-yellow flowers with black spots and red bracts reminding of the bright plumage of parrots.
+ Species and cultivars
- Species
Most commonly grown landscape Heliconia species include Heliconia augusta, H. bihai, H. brasiliensis, H. caribaea, H. latispatha, H. pendula, H. psittacorum, H. rostrata, H. schiediana, and H. wagneriana.
- Cultivars
Several cultivars and hybrids have been selected for garden planting, including:
H. psittacorum × H. spathocircinata, both species of South America, mainly Brazil.
H. × rauliniana = H. marginata (Venezuela) × H. bihai (Brazil).
H. chartacea cv. 'Sexy Pink'.

  2.4- Family Lowiaceae
+ Overview
  Lowiaceae is the Family of Order Zingiberales. This family has one genus: Orchidantha.
Orchidantha is a genus of flowering plants. In the APG III system, it is placed in the family Lowiaceae, as the sole genus. It includes the plants in the formerly recognised genera Lowia and Protamomum.
Orchidantha remains a poorly known genus, found from southern China to Borneo. Orchidanthameans "orchid-flower", as one of the petals on the flowers is modified into a labellum, like the flowers of orchids. One species, Orchidantha inouei of Borneo, imitates the smell of dung in order to attract small Onthophagus dung beetles as pollinators.
  + Species
As of August 2013, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepted 17 species:
1- Orchidantha borneensis N.E.Br.- Borneo
2- Orchidantha chinensis T.L.Wu - Guangdong,Guangxi
3- Orchidantha fimbriata Holttum - Pen. Malaysia
4- Orchidantha foetida Jenjitt. & K.Larsen - Thailand
5- Orchidantha grandiflora Mood & L.B.Pedersen - Sabah
6- Orchidantha holttumii K.Larsen - Sabah, Brunei
7- Orchidantha inouei Nagam. & S.Sakai - Sarawak
8- Orchidantha insularis T.L.Wu - Hainan
9- Orchidantha laotica K.Larsen - Laos
10- Orchidantha longiflora (Scort.) Ridl. - Pen. Malaysia
11- Orchidantha maxillarioides(Ridl.) K.Schum. - Pahang
12- Orchidantha quadricolorL.B.Pedersen & A.L.Lamb - Sabah
13- Orchidantha sabahensisA.L.Lamb & L.B.Pedersen - Sabah
14- Orchidantha siamensis K.Larsen - Pen. Malaysia, S Thailand
15- Orchidantha stercorea H.Ð.Trần & Škorničk. - Vietnam
16- Orchidantha suratii L.B.Pedersen - Sabah
17- Orchidantha vietnamica K.Larsen - Vietnam

2.5- Family Marantaceae
+ Overview
The Marantaceae are a family, the arrowroot family, of flowering plants known for its large starchy rhizomes. It is sometimes called the prayer-plant family. Combined morphological and DNA phylogenetic analyses indicate the family originated in Africa, although this is not the center of its extant diversity.
The plants usually have underground rhizomes or tubers. The leaves are arranged in two rows with the petioles having a sheathing base. The leafblade is narrow or broad with pinnate veins running parallel to the midrib. The petiole may be winged, and swollen into a pulvinus at the base. The inflorescence is a spike or panicle, enclosed byspathe-like bracts. The flowers are small and often inconspicuous, irregular, and bisexual, usually with an outer three free sepals and an inner series of three petaloid-like segments, tube-like in appearance. The fruit is either fleshy or a loculicidal capsule.
+ Taxonomy
The APG II system, of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system, 1998), also recognizes this family, and assigns it to the order Zingiberales in the clade commelinids in the monocots. The Marantaceae are considered the most evolved family in this group due to the extreme reduction in both stamens and carpels.
The family consists of 29-31 genera with 627 species, found in the tropical areas of the world except in Australia. The biggest concentration is in the Americas, with seven genera in Africa, and six in Asia.
Genera:

1- Afrocalathea
2- Calathea
3- Cominsia
4- Ctenanthe
5- Donax
6- Halopegia
7- Haumania
8- Hylaeanthe

9- Hypselodelphys
10- Indianthus
11- Ischnosiphon
12- Koernickanthe
13- Maranta
14- Marantochloa
15- Megaphrynium
16- Monophrynium

17- Monophyllanthe
18- Monotagma
19- Myrosma
20- Phacelophrynium
21- Phrynium
22- Pleiostachya
23- Sanblasia
24- Saranthe

25- Sarcophrynium
26- Schumannianthus
27- Stachyphrynium
28- Stromanthe
29- Thalia
30- Thaumatococcus
31- Trachyphrynium
-

2.6- Family Musaceae
+ Overview
The Musaceae are a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Zingiberales. The family is native to the tropics of Africa and Asia. The plants have a large herbaceous growth habit with leaves with overlapping basal sheaths that form a pseudostem making some members appear to be woody trees.
As currently circumscribed the family includes either two or three genera (depending upon acceptance of the genus Musella, see below). All of the genera and species are native to the Old World. The largest and most economically important genus in the family is Musa, famous for the banana and plantain.
+ Genera
In most treatments, the family has two genera, Musa and Ensete. Cultivated bananas are commercially important members of the family.
  - Genus Musa
  Musa is one of two or three genera in the family Musaceae; it includes bananas and plantains. Around 70 species of Musa are known, with a broad variety of uses.
Taxonomy: For a more detailed explanation of this system and a list of some edible banana and plantain cultivars using it, see the List of banana cultivars.
- Genus Ensete
  Ensete is a genus of monocarpic flowering plants native to tropical regions of Africa and Asia. It is one of the two genera in the banana family, Musaceae, and includes the false banana or enset (E. ventricosum), an economically important food crop in Ethiopia.
Taxonomy: It is possible to separate Ensete into its African and Asian species.
- African Species
Ensete gilletii
Ensete homblei
Ensete perrieri - endemic to Madagascar but intriguingly like the Asian E. glaucum
Ensete ventricosum - enset or false banana, widely cultivated as a food plant in Ethiopia
- Asian Species
Ensete glaucum - widespread in Asia from India to Papua New Guinea
Ensete lasiocarpum (Franch.) Cheesman - China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar (Burma)
Ensete superbum - Western Ghats of India
Ensete wilsonii - Yunnan, China, but doubtfully distinct from E. glaucum
Ensete sp. "Thailand" - possibly a new species or a disjunct population of E. superbum

2.7- Family Strelitziaceae
+ Overview
The Strelitziaceae comprise a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants, very similar in appearance and growth habit to members of the related families Heliconiaceae and Musaceae (banana family). The genera of Strelitziaceae have been included in Musaceae in some classifications, but are generally recognized as a separate family in more recent treatments such as the APG II system (2003). The APG II system assigns the Strelitziaceae to the order Zingiberales in the commelinid clade.
+ Genera
The Strelitziaceae include three genera, all occurring in tropical to subtropical regions: Strelitzia with five species in southern Africa, Ravenala with a single species in Madagascar, and Phenakospermum with a single species in northern South America.
The best-known species is the bird-of-paradise flower Strelitzia reginae, grown for its flowers worldwide in tropical and subtropical gardens, and a well-known flower in floristry. The other species of Strelitzia have less colourful flowers and are grown instead for their striking foliage. Also grown for its foliage is the traveller's tree, Ravenala madagascariensis.

2.8- Family Zingiberaceae
+ Overview
Zingiberaceae or the ginger family is a family of flowering plants made up of more than 1300 species of aromatic perennial herbs with creeping horizontal or tuberous rhizomes. It members are divided into about 52 genera and distributed throughout tropical Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
The Zingiberaceae have a pantropical distribution in the tropics of Africa, Asia, and the Americas, with their greatest diversity in Southeast Asia.
Many of the family's species are important ornamental, spice, or medicinal plants. Ornamental genera include the shell gingers (Alpinia), Siam or summer tulip (Curcuma alismatifolia), Globba, ginger lily (Hedychium), Kaempferia, torch-ginger Etlingera elatior, Renealmia, and ginger (Zingiber). Spices include ginger (Zingiber), galangal or Thai ginger (Alpinia galanga and others), melegueta pepper (Aframomum melegueta), myoga (Zingiber mioga), korarima (Aframomum corrorima), turmeric (Curcuma), and cardamom (Amomum, Elettaria).
+ Taxonomy
I- Subfamily Siphonochiloideae
+ Tribe Siphonochileae
  Aulotandra
  Siphonochilus
II- Subfamily Tamijioideae
+ Tribe Tamijieae
  Tamijia
III- Subfamily Alpinioideae
+ Tribe Alpinieae
  Aframomum - grains of paradise
Alpinia - galangal
  Amomum
  Cyphostigma
  Elettaria - cardamom
  Elettariopsis
  Etlingera
  Geocharis
Geostachys
Hornstedtia
Leptosolena
Paramomum
  Plagiostachys
  Renealmia
  Siliquamomum (incertae sedis)
  Vanoverberghia
×Alpingera F. Luc-Cayol (Alpinia × Etlingera) - intergeneric hybrid
+Tribe Riedelieae
Burbidgea
Pleuranthodium
Riedelia
Siamanthus
  IV- Subfamily Zingiberoideae
+ Tribe Zingibereae
Boesenbergia
Camptandra
Caulokaempferia (incertae sedis)
Cautleya
Cornukaempferia
Curcuma - turmeric
  Curcumorpha
  Distichochlamys
  Haniffia
  Haplochorema
  Hedychium
  Hitchenia
  Kaempferia
  Laosanthus
  Nanochilus
  Paracautleya
  Parakaempferia
  Pommereschea
  Pyrgophyllum
  Rhynchanthus
Roscoea
  Scaphochlamys
  Smithatris
  Stadiochilus
  Stahlianthus
  Zingiber - ginger
+ Tribe Globbeae
Gagnepainia
Globba
Hemiorchis.

Edited by Ho Dinh Hai
Long An – Vietnam

References
1- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zingiberales
2- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costaceae
3- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canna_(plant)
4- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canna_species
5- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliconia
6- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchidantha
7- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marantaceae
8- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musaceae
9- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musa_(genus)
10- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banana_cultivars
11- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strelitziaceae
12- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zingiberaceae

See Video about: Growing Ginger in Virginia