Distribution and anatomy of Zingiber spp. and Alpinia spp. in Jeli, Kelantan

Distribution and anatomy of plants of genera Zingiber and Alpinia (family Zingiberaceae) were studied in Jeli, Kelantan. The distribution map of the flowering wild gingers has been done by using ArcGIS 10.3. Four flowering species that were found around Jeli namely Zingiber spectabile, Zingiber wrayi, Alpinia ja-vanica and Alpinia galangal. Without inflorescence, these four species were indistinguishable morphologically. Hence the species internal structures were also investigated at the anatomy level which involved the sectioning of tissues and viewing under microscope to determine the difference in anatomy structures of the species. The anatomy for these species of plant can be divided into few structural categories. The categories of anatomy are rhizome, pseudostem, root and leaves. From these categories, several parts of the wild ginger have been observed which include margin, lamina, midrib, abaxial and adaxial stomata. The structure and function of the different types of cells and tissues found in these species were also been observed. This study will provide baseline distribution data and the anatomy ofthe Zingiber spp. andAlpinia spp. besides the herbarium specimens that were done as references for the future downstream studies.