These herbs lack true stems, but have pseudostems usually up to about 3 metres (9.8 ft) long which are composed of the overlapping leaf sheaths.
A few species have been known to reach 8 metres (26 ft).
They grow from thick rhizomes.
The leaves are lance-shaped to oblong.
The inflorescence takes the form of a spike, a panicle, or a raceme.
It may be hooded in bracts and bracteoles.
The flower has a shallowly toothed calyx which is sometimes split on one side.
The flower corolla is a cylindrical tube with three lobes at the mouth, the middle lobe larger and hoodlike in some taxa.
There is one fertile stamen and two staminodes, which are often joined into a petal-like labellum, a structure that is inconspicuous in some species and quite showy in others.
The fruit is a rounded, dry or fleshy capsule.
The plants are generally aromatic due to their essential oils.
These herbs lack true stems, but have pseudostems usually up to about 3 metres (9.8 ft) long which are composed of the overlapping leaf sheaths. A few species have been known to reach 8 metres (26 ft). They grow from thick rhizomes. The leaves are lance-shaped to oblong. The inflorescence takes the form of a spike, a panicle, or a raceme. It may be hooded in bracts and bracteoles. The flower has a shallowly toothed calyx which is sometimes split on one side. The flower corolla is a cylindrical tube with three lobes at the mouth, the middle lobe larger and hoodlike in some taxa. There is one fertile stamen and two staminodes, which are often joined into a petal-like labellum, a structure that is inconspicuous in some species and quite showy in others. The fruit is a rounded, dry or fleshy capsule. The plants are generally aromatic due to their essential oils.
Alpinia