The Gingers of the north coastal Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

The north coastal Andhra Pradesh is one of the important agro-climatic zones of Andhra Pradesh with the high altitude hill zones. Forest range is considered as a basic unit in which harbours good patches of vegetation. Some important study areas are Chintapally, Narsipatnam, Anantagiri, Araku, Kurupam, Gummalakshmipuram, Parvathipuram, Salur and Palakonda. As zingibers are shade loving plants, they mostly grow in damp and humid shady places. Some species can fully expose to the sun, and grow on high elevation. Very few species cultivated in plain areas for the commercial and domestic purpose (Ginger, Turmeric and Ornamentals etc.). North coastal Andhra Pradesh covers the 20 percent of the forest area (6,51,537 ha), with rich sources of flora and fauna. Zingibers possess great medicinal properties like expectorant, acrid, aphrodisiac, thermogenic, febrifuge, appetiser, carminative, antihelmintic etc. They are useful in vitiated conditions of vata, pitta and kapha, respiratory diseases, digestive complaints, and Skin diseases. Because of the great medicinal properties of zingibers, they are widely used by the people from all parts of the world, and also pharmacological studies are extensively conducted on these plants.

Keywords

• Ginger
• Zingiberaceae
• Hill regions
• North coastal Andhra Pradesh