Alpinia is a genus of plants, with more than 230 species from the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). It is named for Prospero Alpini, a 17th-century Italian botanist who specialized in exotic plants.
Alpinia katsumadai- A medium height species with very nice wavy leaves and upright yellow shell-like flowers; inflorescences are upright, not pendant. The plant grows to 4 feet in medium sun.
Alpinia katsumadai (Zingiberaceae) has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of conditions such as emesis and gastric disorders. However, very little is known about the cellular actions by which this plant mediates its therapeutic effects. Various aspects of antioxidant activity were evaluated in a total extract derived from Alpinia katsumadai seed in this study. Relatively high levels of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were detected in the total extract (IC(50) 1.6 microgram/mL).