Volume 16 > Part 2 > Year 2023 > Page 419 > Zingiberaceae > Curcuma

1. Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb.wfo-0000365393

Asiat. Res. 11: 335. 1810.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Description : Rhizome branched, main rhizome ovoid, 4–12 by 3–5 cm, internally bluish green; branches 1.5–2.5 cm diam., internally bluish green, aromatic with camphoraceous smell, bitter; root tubers ovate to fusiform, 2.5–6 by 1.5–2.5 cm, internally white. Leafy shoot 0.6–1.7 m tall with up to 5 leaves, appearing shortly after inflorescence or concurrently; pseudostem to 60 cm long, bladeless sheaths green, very shortly puberulent; leaf sheaths green, very shortly puberulent; ligule obscurely bilobed, 1–3 mm long, semitranslucent white to greenish, glabrous with hairy margin; petiole 1–16 cm long, green, glabrous; blades elliptic to elliptic-obovate, 30–60(–92) by 9–19(–21) cm, plicate, above mid to dark green with dark purple-red to maroon feather shaped patch positioned in distal half of blade, below paler green with red patch not visible, glabrous on both surfaces, midrib green throughout, sometimes reddish in part with red patch, base cuneate to attenuate, apex acuminate, finely hairy. Inflorescence lateral, often emerging before leafy shoots, 25–38 cm tall; peduncle 13–26 cm long, sheathing bracts green, or rarely with a very slight reddish tinge, very shortly puberulent or glabrous; thyrse cylindrical, 10–16(–18) by 6–8(–9) cm (slightly wider at coma), composed of 20–30 bracts (including 5–8 coma bracts); fertile bracts obovate with round apex, 3.5–5.5 by 3.5–4.5 cm, connate in basal ½–⅓, green tinged purple-red especially towards apices, puberulent on both surfaces; cincinni with 4–6 flowers at basal bracts, fewer in uppermost bracts; coma bracts narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate, 4.5–7.5 by 1.2–2.8 cm, connate in basal ⅓–¼, pink, often with greenish streaks, puberulent on both surfaces, only uppermost 2–4 truly sterile; bracteoles boat-shaped, 1.8–2.5 by 7–15 mm (inner ones gradually smaller), semitranslucent white, sometimes tinged pink at apex, glabrous but with few hairs on ridges at apex. Flower gullet type, 4.7–5.3 cm long, hardly exserted from bracts; ovary barrel-shaped, 3–4 by 2.5–3.5 mm, cream-white, pubescent; epigynous glands cylindrical, 3.5–6 mm long, greenish yellow, apex acute; stigma irregularly capitate with two blunt, dorsal bulges, ca 1.2 by 1.5–1.6 mm, white, ostiole ciliate, facing forwards; calyx 1–1.2 cm long, apex obscurely tridentate, with unilateral incision to 5 mm long, semitranslucent white, often with pink tinge at teeth, glabrous, but with a few hairs at apices of teeth; floral tube funnel-shaped, 2.5–3 cm long, externally yellow at base, with pink to red tinge distally, sparsely puberulent (at base) to glabrous, internally yellow, with constriction and ring of hairs positioned ca 1.8 cm from base, dorsal lobe ovate, 1.5–2 by 1.2–1.5 cm, concave, hooded, mucronate, dark pink to pink-red, glabrous (except few hairs at mucro), lateral lobes bluntly triangular, 1.4–1.7 by 1–1.2 cm, shallowly concave, dark pink to pink-red, glabrous; lateral staminodes irregularly bluntly rectangular with obtuse apex folded inwards at centre, 1.2–1.6 by 0.8–0.9 cm, pale yellow, glabrous or with glandular hair on raised veins above, glabrous below; labellum obscurely trilobed, 1.6–1.9 by 1.8–2 cm, side lobes folding upwards, midlobe straight with bilobed apex, incision ca 3 mm, light yellow with dark yellow median band extending from base to apical margin, glabrous with glandular hair all along basal part of the sides of median band; stamen 8–9 mm long; filament 3–4 mm long, 3.5–4 mm broad at base, ca 2.5 mm broad at point of attachment, cream-white to very pale yellowish, glabrous or with very few glandular hairs; anther spurred, ovoid, 8–9 mm long (including spurs), 2.5–3 mm wide, connective tissue cream-white, glabrous, spurs narrowly conical, ca 3 mm long, anther crest absent, thecae 4–5 mm long, dehiscing throughout their length, pollen white. Fruit not seen.

Thailand : Cultivated.

Distribution : India (type), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam.

Ecology : Cultivated.

Vernacular : Wan mahamek (ว่านมหาเมฆ).

Uses: The rhizome is used medicinally for treatment of flatulence, dyspepsia, diarrhoea, peptic ulcers, headaches, snake bites and parasitic infections. The rhizome macerated in alcohol is also used to treat various uterine disorders including pain, inflammation, postpartum and perimenopausal bleeding.

Notes: This species is easily recognised by its bluish green rhizome and red feathery patch on the distal half of the leaf blade.