is a family of herbaceous plant of zingiberaceae, originally from the island of java, india and china, from where it spread throughout the tropical regions of the world. another name known in northern brazil, is mangarataia it is a perennial plant of the family of zingiberáceas, which can reach more than 1 m tall. the dark green leaves are born from a hard stalk, thick and underground (rhizome). the flowers are tubular, pale yellow and appear in erect spikes. is a herbaceous plant of the family of zingiberaceae, originally from java island, india and china, from where it spread throughout the tropical regions of the world. other name known in northern brazil, is mangarataia it is a perennial plant of zingiberáceas family, which can reach more than 1 m tall. the dark green leaves are born from a hard stalk, thick and underground (rhizome). the flowers are tubular, pale yellow and appear in erect spikes. its underground stem is used as a spice since ancient times, in cooking and in the preparation of medicines. ginger is known in europe since remote times, where he was taken through the cross. in portugal there is record of his presence from the reign of d. john iii (1521-1557). the introduction of ginger in brazil is attributed by the authors to the dutch invasions that occurred in the seventeenth century. however, there are reports mentioning the presence of this plant in the year 1587. viscount nassau when he came to brazil brought the famous botanist pison reported that ginger as indigenous and easy to find plant in the wild state, both the brazilian and considered simultaneously asian, a conviction that said even long after, because the published in 1648.1 in brazil, ginger arrived less than a century after the discovery. naturalists who visited the country (colony at the time) thought it was a native plant, it was common to find it in wild state. today, ginger is cultivated mainly in the coastal strip of the holy spirit, santa catarina, parana and southern sao paulo, because of the suitable climate and soil conditions.