Alpinia

Alpinia is a genus in the subfamily Alpinioideae from the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), which are among the flowering plants. With about 230 species, the genus is the most diverse in the ginger family.

Some species are used as a spice and medicinal plants by man. Many species and varieties are popular ornamental plants in tropical gardens and parks.

Distribution
You have a dissemination focus in the Indonesian archipelago and tropical Australia. Species occur in large parts of the tropical Asian continent.

Description
Alpinia species are perennial herbaceous plants. They are creeping, thick rhizomes as Überdauerungsorgane. Are formed mostly well-developed "pseudo stems from many generally, rarely only one to four leaves. The leaf blades are oblong or lanceolate.

The terminal, spiciform, year-old, vituperate inflorescences contain lying stretched close to many flowers. The burgeoning in flower heads are usually covered in one to three bracts. Each flower is usually over a tubular to spread cover page. The flowers are hermaphrodite with triadic double perianth. The three sepals are together Röhrig. Three carpels are fused into a dreikammerigen ovary. The labellum is often strikingly different, with lobed or smooth edges and is usually longer than the Kronlappen. Sometimes missing stamens.

There are usually spherical, dry or fleshy capsule fruit with many seeds formed. The seeds have an aril often edgy.
Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpinia

See Also: Sending Flowers, Online Florist