Black Fruited Galanga

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Black Fruited Galanga
• Allugha Galangal

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Zingiber nigrum
• Languas allughas
• Hellenia allughas
• Heritiera allughas
• Alpinia bilamellata
• Alpinia allughas
• Amomum nigrum
• Amomum bifidum
• Amomum taraca

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae in the order Zingiberales and the family Zingiberaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Alpinia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution spanning several key regions across Asia. In China, it is primarily found throughout the South-Central provinces. Its presence extends into Eastern Asia, specifically within the Kazan-retto and Ogasawara-shoto areas. Furthermore, the species is well-established across the Indian Subcontinent, including the state of Assam. Finally, it can also be located within the borders of Bangladesh.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Alpinia nigra is characterized by its classification as a perennial organism, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a plant that survives unfavorable conditions through underground storage organs, it functions as a geophyte, ensuring its long-term survival in its natural habitat. This specialized survival strategy is further defined by its life form as a cryptophyte, where the vital regenerative parts of the plant remain protected below the soil surface during dormant periods.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Alpinia nigra is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, functioning as a self-supporting plant rather than a climber or liana. It exhibits a terrestrial lifestyle, existing as an independent organism that does not rely on host plants, neither as an obligate or facultative parasite nor as an epiphyte. The structural composition of the plant is entirely non-woody, consistent with its herbaceous habit.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Alpinia nigra is characterized by its reliance on the C3 photosynthetic pathway, a metabolic process wherein carbon dioxide is fixed directly into a three-carbon compound during the Calvin cycle. As a member of the Zingiberaceae family, this plant utilizes C3 metabolism to facilitate the conversion of light energy into chemical energy, primarily occurring within the chloroplasts of its leafy structures. This pathway involves the enzyme RuBisCO to catalyze the carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate, which is typical for many understory or shade-tolerant tropical herbs that thrive in environments where water loss through photorespiration is managed through leaf morphology and moisture availability. This fundamental physiological mechanism underpins the plant's growth, biomass production, and the synthesis of its secondary metabolites.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Alpinia nigra has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include rhizome.

Rhizome

1. Journal of environmental pathology, toxicology and oncology : official organ of the International Society for Environmental Toxicology and Cancer

Activities

Alpinia nigra has 2 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticholinesterase, Antioxidant.

Anticholinesterase

1. Natural product research

Antioxidant

1. Natural product research

Conditions

Alpinia nigra has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease

1. Natural product research

Preparations

Alpinia nigra has 4 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Crude methanol extracts of the rhizomes, ethanolic extracts, ethanolic shoot extract, methanol extract.

Crude methanol extracts of the rhizomes

1. Journal of environmental pathology, toxicology and oncology : official organ of the International Society for Environmental Toxicology and Cancer

Ethanolic extracts

1. Natural product research

Ethanolic shoot extract

1. Journal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology

Methanol extract

1. Experimental parasitology