This result is comparable to the most species rich sites so far known in Borneo, constituting around 16 percent of the island’s estimated total number of native gingers.

Gingers are important in the ecology of the forest understorey and are common in both primary and disturbed forests. At the same time, they are a useful resource to many local people in Borneo, who use them for a range of purposes. Most importantly is its use as a vegetable or a snack. Some species are also important for magical, ceremonial and medicinal uses, with one even being used as a shampoo.

Danish botanist Axel Dalberg Poulsen, with the support of two Danish foundations (supported by HRH Crown Prince Frederik and Julie von Müllen) and assistance from the Indonesian Government’s Institute of Sciences (LIPI), carried out an inventory of gingers at Malinau. The research was part of a long-term study to document the diversity and distribution of Indonesian gingers.

“Gingers are exciting plants for a botanist and also the general plant lover. For the scientist they are a real challenge, because they are difficult to collect and process, and they rarely flower, making identification difficult,” Poulsen said.

The overall study is leading towards a better understanding of Indonesian gingers by providing detailed descriptions, illustrations and local names. This information will be accessible in books, on-line or on CD Rom and valuable to anybody who would like to identify a ginger in Borneo. This will contribute to the better management of Kalimantan’s natural resources.

Some species of ginger in Kalimantan region of Borneo may have the potential to be cultivated and marketed as ornamental plants or sold as cut flowers.

Identifying gingers for commercial use was not part of the research project’s ambit and, Poulsen stresses, any efforts to commercialize Kalimantan’s ginger should respect indigenous property rights to plant resources.

For more information, contact: axel@dalbergpoulsen.com