එනසාල්/රට එනසාල්/කරඳමුංගු (Elettaria cardamomum)

An indigenous large herb widely cultivated. Wild specimens rare. The seeds provide the cardamom of commerce.  

ඉඟුරු[Inguru]/Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

The root ginger of commerce which is widely used as a spice or as a medicine in traditional medicine. Country of origin unknown. Cultivated in tropical countries throughout the world.

Curcuma oligantha

 

An indigenous herb of the dry zone. Flowers produced before, or with developing leaves from the base of a new leaf shoot. One flower opening at a time.

Yellow Ginger Lily (Hedychium flavescens)

                       

 A large herb common by streams in moist areas up to 1800 m elevations. Native to Northeast India. Introduced or perhaps native to Sri Lanka as well. Much cultivated as an ornamental. 

හිඟුරු පියලි[Hinguru Piyali] (Kaempferia galanga)

An introduced herb native to the India. Cultivated in gardens.

හරන් කහ [Haran kaha] (Curcuma albiflora)

Rather rare endemic herb occurs in wet lowland forests, often close to streams and rivers. Flowering from February to June. 

එළ මල් [Ela mal]/White-ginger Lily/Butterfly ginger (Hedychium coronarium)

Native large herb of India and Malaysia. Perhaps also native to the Sri Lanka*. Cultivated and also naturalized in the wet lowlands and hill country up to about 1500 m altitudes

* Illustrated field guide to the flowers of Sri Lanka - J & J de Vlas 

Torch ginger (Etlingera elatior[Nicolaia elatior])

Native plant of Malaysia. Cultivated occasionally in home gardens, especially in Kandy and Peradeniya area.

හරන්-කහ[Haran-kaha] (Curcuma aromatica [Syn: Curcuma zedoaria])

Cultivated and naturalized herb in Sri Lanka, India and Southeast Asia.Country of origin unknown. The rhizome is used in medicinally and perfumery.

වල් - ඉඟුරු [Wal-Inguru] Wild Ginger (Zingiber zerumbet)

A perennial herb with leafy stem cultivated throughout the island and sometime naturalized. Flowering from February to October. Used medicinally. 

Meistera masticatorium [Syn: Amomum masticatorium]

Large endemic herb specimens collected so far only from few places of the Kandy district (Flora of Ceylon Vol 4). It grows in moist forests.

Alpinia abundiflora

An indigenous large herb grows in the hill country forests. Flowering from February to November.

කලා කීරිය/කටු කීරිය[Kala-kiriya/Katu-kiriya]/Indian Ginger/Snap-Ginger(Alpinia calcarata)

Native plant of India. Widely cultivated in Sri Lanka. Flowering from August to September.

Red ginger (Alpinia purpurata)

Large herb with flowering in most of the year. Introduced from its native countries probably of Malaysia or Pacific islands and widely cultivated in Sri Lanka as an ornamental plant with possible escaping to natural habitats.