Diversity and Ethnobotany of the Family Zingiberaceae in Lop Buri Province, Thailand, with Notes on a Putative Natural Hybrid.
Boonma T, Saensouk S, Saensouk P, Promkatkeaw T.
Ethnobotany
Turmeric, galangal, cardamom, and ginger all belong to the same plant family — and this study reveals that a single Thai province holds 110 distinct relatives, many used in ways that could inspire growers working with these plants in home kitchens or herb gardens.
Scientists spent two years exploring forests, gardens, and farms in a province of central Thailand, finding 110 different members of the ginger family — plants that include turmeric, cardamom, and ornamental gingers. They interviewed 110 local residents who shared over 5,000 individual examples of how these plants are used in cooking, healing, ceremonies, and beauty routines. As a bonus, they discovered and named a brand-new natural hybrid that formed where two species crossed on their own in the wild.
Key Findings
110 taxa (109 species + 1 new natural hybrid) from 13 genera were recorded in Lop Buri Province, with 95 of those taxa newly documented for the region.
110 local informants provided 5,113 use reports across 106 taxa, covering food, medicine, ornamental, ritual, cosmetic, and commercial categories — with turmeric (Curcuma) and galangal (Alpinia) being the most commonly used genera.
A previously undescribed natural hybrid, Curcuma × lopburiensis, was identified and formally described, discovered in the wild where two parent species overlap.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers surveyed the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) across Lop Buri Province in central Thailand, cataloguing 110 taxa across 13 genera and documenting how 110 local people use these plants for food, medicine, rituals, and more. They also formally described a newly identified natural hybrid, Curcuma × lopburiensis, making Lop Buri a recognized biodiversity hotspot for this family.
Abstract Preview
Zingiberaceae is an ecologically, economically, and culturally important plant family in tropical Asia, yet its diversity and ethnobotanical significance remain insufficiently documented in several...
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