Exploration of Zingiberaceae family in Tangkahan Ecotourism Forest, North Sumatra Province

Zingiberaceae or empon-emponan/ginger-ginger is a plant that is widely used by the people of Indonesia, generally used as a flavoring in cooking and as an ingredient in traditional medicines. Currently, there are still many species of the Zingiberaceae family that have not been explored. Mean while, several areas in North Sumatra have changed the function of land that used to be forest into oil palm plantations, Eucalyptus and settlements. This of course will be very dangerous for species that have not been identified which of course have the potential to be developed. The purpose of this study was to determine the diversity of species from the Zingiberaceae family that have the potential to be utilized and endemic in several areas of North Sumatra. This research was conducted in the ecotourism forest of Tangkahan, North Sumatra in July 2021. The plants used in this research are plant species from the Zingiberaceae family which have potential as medicine and are often used. This species of research is exploration and descriptive. Based on the results of the study obtained as many as 10 species that were found, including the genus Boesbergia, Globba, Zingiber, Hornstedtia, Amomum, Etlingera.