e-Flora of Thailand
Volume 16 > Part 2 > Year 2023 > Page 464 > Zingiberaceae > Curcuma
49. Curcuma rufostriata Škorničk. & Soonthornk.wfo-1000026571
Thai Forest Bull., Bot. 49(1): 36. 2021. Plate LVI: B.
Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.
Description : Rhizome 1.5–2 by 1–2 cm, globose to ovoid, occasionally with lateral branches to 1–2.5 cm long, 0.3–0.5 cm diam., internally cream, aromatic, spicy-sweet with weakly acerbic aftertaste; root tubers ovate to fusiform, 1.5–3.5 by 1–2 cm, light brown externally, cream internally. Leafy shoot to 45(–60) cm tall with 2–4 leaves at anthesis; pseudostem 10–22 cm long; bladeless sheaths 2 or 3, green with pinkish red tinge at base and margins when young, often decayed at anthesis, puberulent, apex mucronate, leaf sheaths plain green or with reddish tinge basally, puberulent; ligule truncate, sometimes bilobed, to 1–2.5 mm long, 4–5 mm wide, semitranslucent greenish or with reddish tinge, sparsely ciliate at upper margin, above glabrous (groove), below puberulent; blades 15–30 by 2.2–3.6(–4.5) cm, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, above dark green, below somewhat paler, puberulous on both surfaces, midrib green, often with narrow red patch along midrib almost entire length of blade which may show through to the underside, above glabrous, below puberulous, base equal or slightly oblique, cuneate to attenuate, apex acuminate; petiole to 10–32 cm long, plain green or with reddish tinge at margins and base. Inflorescence central; peduncle basally obscured within pseudostem, exceeding it by 15–45 cm, plain green, glabrous; thyrse composed of 9–15 bracts, 4.5–7 by 2–4 cm; fertile bracts broadly ovate to elliptic-ovate with broadly obtuse to rounded, reflexed apex, 1.5–2 by 1.9–2.5 cm (basal larger, upper smaller), connate in lower ¼ to ½, striate, brownish red with light green, almost always with two pale to bright pink patches at upper part (one on each side, patches usually larger in upper bracts), puberulous on both surfaces; cincinni with up to 5 flowers at basal bracts, gradually decreasing upwards to 1–2 flowers, flowers in uppermost bracts often undeveloped or aborted and covered with developed bracteoles; coma bracts absent; bracteoles one per flower, ovate, boat-shaped, to 0.9–1.2 by 0.3–0.5 cm (outer ones larger, inner ones gradually smaller), hyaline, semitranslucent white with sparse red tinge, almost glabrous, with sparse stipitate hairs at apex. Flower gullet type, 1.5–2.5 cm long, slightly exserted from bracts; ovary ovoid to globose, 2.5–3 by 3 mm, cream, glabrous; epigynous glands absent; style white, glabrous; stigma capitate, funnel-shaped, ca 1 mm by 0.8 mm, white, ostiole with irregularly puberulent to serrulate margin; calyx 6–6.5 mm long, tridentate, with unilateral incision 3–4 mm, semitranslucent white sometimes with sparse red tinge, puberulent; floral tube narrowly cylindrical at base becoming narrowly funnel-shaped distally, 0.7–1.1 cm long, externally white, glabrous, internally white, sometimes with few sparse red spots, glabrous basally, puberulent with ring of dense hair distally (near throat), dorsal corolla lobe broadly elliptic to obovate, strongly concave, hooded with mucronate apex (mucro to 1 mm long), 7–7.5 by 4–5.5 mm, cream to pale purple, usually darker distally, glabrous, lateral corolla lobes ovate to elliptic with obtuse apex, 7–9 by 2.5–3 mm, strongly reflexing soon after anthesis, semitranslucent cream at base, pale purple distally, glabrous; lateral staminodes obovate to elliptic, oblique, 0.8–1.1 by 0.6–0.8 cm, light purple to bright purple with red band basally (side adjacent to labellum), glabrous on both surfaces; labellum obovate, obscurely trilobed, 1–1.1 by 0.6–0.7 cm, midlobe small and with an incision ca 2 mm long, pale to bright purple with bright red bands at sides basally, median band triangular and white at base, narrowing to yellow line distally and extending to the incision, prominently raised at centre of labellum, glabrous throughout, but sparsely hairy at base; stamen 8–9 mm long; filament 2–2.5 mm long, 2.5–3 mm wide at base, less than 1.5 mm at point of attachment, white, glabrous; anther spurred, L-shaped (angle 100°–110°), 7–8 mm long, connective tissue white to cream, sometimes very pale purple dorsally, covered with short glandular hairs, apex crestless but prominently bilobed, anther spurs ca 3 mm long, 2 mm wide, somewhat dorso-ventrally compressed, slightly diverging from base but converging at apices creating narrow central opening between spurs, cream throughout with bright warm yellow apices (sometimes with small red spot), basally with glandular hair, thecae 3–4 mm long, positioned in upper ⅓ of anther, dehiscing throughout their length, pollen cream. Fruit globular, 7–9 mm diam. (almost ripe), cream or with rich reddish brown tinge, glabrous, containing 9–50 seeds; seeds irregularly obovoid, 2.5–3 mm long, light brown (almost ripe), shiny, enclosed in semitranslucent white, laciniate aril.
Thailand : SOUTH-EASTERN: Prachinburi (Mueang District – type: Soonthornkalump SUTT-216, holotype -BKF, isotypes -BK E K P PSU QBG SING).
Distribution : Endemic.
Ecology : In semideciduous, evergreen forests and scrub forests at 30–250 m alt. Flowering: June–August; dormancy begins early December. The flowers open in the morning and last one day.
Vernacular : Bua lai prachin (บัวลายปราจีน).
Uses: Occasionally on sale as an ornamental plant and used as a parental line in horticultural breeding programmes.