Distribution and anatomy of Etlingera spp. in Jeli, Kelantan

A sampling on genus Etlingera was conducted in selected trails throughout Agro Techno Park of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus and surrounding Jeli District. In Agro Techno Park of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus, there were some areas that have been set aside for agriculture uses. Furthermore, the development in Jeli has increased with the construction of housing area and government office. As a result, the wild ginger species population may have been affected by the urbanization, land cultivation and agriculture activities. There is no previous study regarding the distribution of Etlingera spp. in Jeli, Kelantan. Hence, there is no record of the distribution of this member of Zingiberaceae family. This study resulted in inventory of four species from the genus Etlingera which are Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Sm., Etlingera megalocheilos (tariff.) A.D. Paulsen, Etlingera rubrostriata (Holttum) C.K. Lim and Etlingera punicea (Roxb.) R.M. Sm. The morphological characteristics for each plant part were discussed. In addition, the anatomy for leaves, petioles, roots, pseudostems and rhizomes of each plant was examined and identified under microscope. Detailed descriptions, pictures of the plant specimens, microscopic view for each plant parts and distribution maps generated using Geographic Information System (GIS) were presented in this paper. This study will provide a baseline data for the Etlingera species distribution which is important for further studies. Due to their importance and values such as medicinal and pharmacological potential, nutritional properties and cultural values, further bioprospecting studies are necessary to be conducted in future