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Alpinia officinarum HANCE.

Botanical Name

Alpinia officinarum HANCE.

English Name

Lesser Galangal

Synonym(s)

Languas officinarum (Hance) Farwell.

Family

Zingiberaceae

General Info

Description

Rhizomes elongate, terete. Pseudostems 40-110 cm. Leaves sessile; ligule lanceolate, entire, 2--3(--5) cm, membranous; leaf blade linear, 20-30 × 1.2-2.5 cm, glabrous, base attenuate, apex caudate. Racemes erect, 6-10 cm; rachis tomentose; bracteoles very small, less than 1 cm. Pedicel 1-2 mm. Calyx 8-10 cm, puberulent, apex 3-toothed. Corolla tube slightly shorter than calyx; lobes oblong, ca. 1.5 cm, central one hoodlike. Labellum white with red streaks, ovate, ca. 2 cm. Filament ca. 1 cm; anther ca. 6 mm. Ovary tomentose. Capsule red, globose, ca. 1 cm in diam.

Herb Effects

Stimulant, carminative, diuretic and antimicrobial (rhizome); against pathogenic fungi that cause skin diseases.

Links

Botanical.com
Galangal

Chemistry

Active Ingredients

1,8-Cineole, eugenol, galangin, tannin (rhizome); methyl-cinnamate (plant); kaempferol, kaempferide, quercetin and isorhamnetin (root).

Chemistry of Active Ingredients

Name

CAS#

IUPAC Name

Formula

Structure

Galangin

548-83-4

3,4,5-trihydroxy-2-p
henyl-chromen-7-one

C₁₅H₁₀O₅

Kaempferol

80714-53-0

3-[3-[4,5-dihydroxy-
6-(hydroxymethyl)-3-
[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-
(hydroxyme thyl)oxa
n-2-yl]oxy-oxan-2-yl
]oxy-4,5-dihydroxy-6
-(hydroxymethyl)oxan
-2 -yl]oxy-4,5-dihy
droxy-2-(4-hydroxyph
enyl)-chromen-7-one

C₃₃H₄₀O₂₁