摘要
With 230 species throughout tropical and subtropical Asia, Alpinia is thelargest, most widespread and most taxonomically complex genus in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae).Species of Alpinia often predominate in the understory of forests, and some of them are importantornamentals and medicinals. By using DNA-se-quence-based methods, Prof. Li Qingjun from the CASXishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden and his collaborators from the US National Museum of NaturalHistory and UK Royal Botanic Garden have set up the monophyly of the genus. Their work ishighlighted on the cover of the first issue of American Journal of Botany in 2005.