Editing Zingiberales (section)

=== History ===

The Zingiberales have always been considered a unique and coherent ([[Monophyly|monophyletic]]) group, although accounting for <4% of extant monocots, which has led some authors to suggest they should constitute a higher taxonomic rank than order.{{sfn|Kress et al|2001}} For a brief history of the taxonomy of this order, see [[Scitamineae]], and Kress 1990.{{sfn|Kress|1990}} They were first described by [[August Grisebach]], their [[Author citation (botany)|botanical authority]], in 1854 as Zingiberides, an order of monocotyledons, subdivided into two families, Scitamineae and Musaceae.<ref name=Grisebach/>

Based on [[plant morphology|morphological]] grounds alone, early [[list of systems of plant taxonomy|systems]], such as [[Bentham & Hooker system|Bentham and Hooker]] (1883) placed the Scitamineae as an ''Ordo'' (family) of the Epigynae alliance in the monocotyledons, incorporating both of Grisebach's families.<ref name = BH/> Later systems such as the [[Engler system]] (1903)<ref name=Engler/> and the [[Wettstein system]] (1924),{{sfn|Wettstein|1924|loc=p. 902}} also considered Scitamineae as a monocotyledon order and were influential for a long period of time. Variants included Scitaminales ([[Eugenius Warming|Warming]] 1912).{{sfn|Warming|1912}} [[Hutchinson system|Hutchinson]] (1926), although initially using Scitamineae, later followed [[Takenoshin Nakai]] (1930).<ref name=Nakai1930/>{{sfn|Nakai|1941}} in adopting Zingiberales as the name for the order (6 families) in Division Calyciferae,{{sfn|Hutchinson|1926–1934}} although credit is generally given to Nakai. This usage was followed by [[Takhtajan system|Takhtajan]] (1966) within [[Order (biology)|superorder]] [[Lilianae]]<ref name=Takhtajan/> and by [[Rolf Dahlgren|Dahlgren]] (1985) in its own superorder Zingiberiflorae.{{sfn|Dahlgren |Clifford |Yeo|1985}}

In contrast the [[Cronquist system]] retained Scitamineae as the name for this order with eight families, but organised the order in the subclass [[Zingiberidae]] of the class [[Liliopsida]] ([[monocotyledon]]s).