The Regional Meeting On in Southeast Asia

Brief Information on Zingiberaceae of Myanmar

Saw Lwin Ph.D Myanmar Floriculturist Association Yangon, Myanmar

15th, August, 2014 Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden (QSBG), Chiang Mai, Thailand Species Diversity and Endemism

• Myanmar supports a high diversity of habitats, and is extremely rich in species due to the very wide variation in latitude, altitude and climate within the country.

• A recent revision of the checklists of gymnosperms and angiosperms in Myanmar shows 11,800 species in 273 families and 2,371 genera (Kress et al. 2003).

• The available information on species diversity and endemism indicates that Myanmar supports extraordinary plant and vertebrate diversity, and level of endemism is also high when comparable to other countries in the Indo - Myanmar (Indo - Burma) Hotspot.

• The endemic plant species is about 10 percent of total plant flora. • The Zingiberaceae is a moderately-sized family of relatively advanced monocotyledonous of the order .

• These are plants of the tropical and sub-tropical regions distributed mainly in Asia but extending through tropical Africa to Central and South America.

• Most genera of this family are sources of many important products of economic and medicinal interest.

• Zingiberaceae yields spices, perfumes, dynes and medicines, however, various species are also cultivated for their showy beauty. • In Myanmar, the family Zingiberaceae comprises 25 genera and 159 species are recorded.

• The largest is Globba genus with 23 species.

• The second largest genus Curcuma has 22 species and the third largest genera are Alpinia and Zingiber both comprises 14 species each. Among 159 species of family Zingiberaceae, 14 species are recorded as cultivated.

• Zingiberaceae family distributed in all States and Regions of Myanmar, however, many species are found abundantly in Bago, Mandalay, Taninthayi, Sagaing Regions and Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine and Shan States. • There are very few researches on Zingiberaceae family in Myanmar. • Only four M.Sc research , two Ph.D Research on Zingiberaceae and one colonal propagation at Yangon University, Mandalay University and Yangon Technological University. • A well-known Zingiberaceae specialist Dr. John Kress from Smithsonian Institution conducted series of Zingiberaceae survey accompanied with staff from Forest Department and Yangon University between 1995 to 2005. • They discovered some prominent Zingiberaceae new species in Rakhine State, Mandalay Region, Sagaing Region, Bago Region and Yangon Region • Myanmar People has been using many species of family Zingiberaceae as medicine as well as food and decorative items.

• Since last over 20 years ago, some growers from Pyay District in Mandalay Region cultivated Globba magnifera and due to selection methods, high quality flower spikes of above species are now very popular in Myanmar for offering in Buddhist shrines and Monasteries. The Weeping Goldsmith or padeign-ngo , Globba magnifica (the famous ornamental flower for offering Buddha and decoration purposes ) The Weeping Goldsmith or padeign-ngo , Globba magnifica

Robust Globba maganifica field Globba maganifica magenta Colour The Weeping Goldsmith or padeign-ngo , Globba magnifica

Cleaning and Sorting Globba before sending Wholesale Market in Yangon. The Weeping Goldsmith or padeign-ngo , Globba magnifica

Views of successful Globba maganifica nursery in Pyin Oo Lwin (Altitude – 2500 ft) Wild Curcuma(Myanmar name; Padatsa) habitat, an ornamental plant and rural peoples’ natural diet Various Zingiberaceae family and ornamental flowering plants can be found in dense thickets of bamboo carpet and the hillsides that descend to the western coast of Myanmar in Rakhine State. A new species of Myanmar Gingers from Mandalay Region

A researcher examines Smithatris myanmarrensis in its natural habitat Smithatris myanmarrensis Smithatris myanmarrensis Closest beauty of Smithatris grows as potted plant myanmarrensis A spectacular Ginger called Hitchenia glauca (found in middle Myanmar, local people serve as a seasonal salad, a lot of potential ornamental flower in near future) Hitchenia glauca in its natural habitat

Hitchenia glauca is called Tauttaphu in Myanmar which has good potential for ornamental A wild banana , Musa laterita , very common in most of Myanmar forests and good ornamental plant for landscape decoration. Globba radicalis, a lovely ginger that was found in western Myanmar (future possible ornamental Globba) Another photo of beautiful and unusual flower shaped recently found a Zingiberaceae ornamental plant :Globba radicalis, a ginger that was found the road between Kalewa and Kalay, in the Western Hill of Myanmar .It is also called as Dancing Lady due to its fragile look alike Dancing girl. Rhynchanthus longiflorus, an epiphytic ginger growing on the tree top in the cloud forest ( a very attractive Ginger as decorative ornamental plant) Another attractive red inflorescence and yellow flowers of Hedychium bordelonianum, also grown in cloud forest Curcuma roscoeana , a common and widely distributed ginger of Myanmar, good ornamental and also for eating . Myanmar name ; Marlar-ni A very rare ornamental plant : the flower of Globba wardii, It only known to occur at natma- taung (Mt. Victoria) in Chin State, North Western Myanmar • Due to the many years isolation and close door political system, few research and joint cooperation on flora have been conducted in Myanmar during nearly (5) decades

• As a result , Myanmar is still data deficient and still as a "black hole" for flora research, identification and scientific systematic recording

• At present, some of these invaluable plant species in Myanmar, as in other countries, are unfortunately dwindling due to over collection, the increasing expansion activities of the growing population and rapid urbanization • Although the family Zingiberaceae of Myanmar is highly diverse but still poorly known when compare with other neighboring countries

• Many species of family Zingiberaceae and their status are currently uncertain and further cooperative research is needed • It is hoped that this brief presentation contributes and shares towards the better understanding of Myanmar flowering ornamental plants and for more penetrating research and cooperation due to openness policy of new democratic elected Government.

• We warmly welcome all friends from ASEAN and other parts of the world for join hand with us to explore the Myanmar Flowering plants and for new findings . Acknowledgement

• I would like to express my sincere thanks to Organizing Committee of this Regional Meeting on Zingiberaceae and Director of the Botanical Garden Organization, Thailand for inviting and giving me the opportunity to present my presentation at the Regional Meeting.

• I also thank Myanmar Floriculturist Association for the support and allow me to participate this Meeting and present a presentation here.