Curcuma

Summary

Curcuma (/ˈkɜːrkjʊmə/)[3] is a genus of plants in the family Zingiberaceae that contains such species as turmeric and Siam tulip. They are native to Southeast Asia, southern China, the Indian Subcontinent, New Guinea and northern Australia.[4] Some species are reportedly naturalized in other warm parts of the world such as tropical Africa, Central America, Florida, and various islands of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Generally, most curcuma grows well in loose and sandy soil in shaded areas.[2][5]

Curcuma
Curcuma zedoaria
1896 illustration[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Subfamily: Zingiberoideae
Tribe: Zingibereae
Genus: Curcuma
L.
Synonyms[2]
  • Kua Rheede ex Medic.
  • Erndlia Giseke
  • Stissera Giseke 1792, illegitimate homonym not Heist. ex Fabr. 1759
  • Hitcheniopsis (Baker) Ridl.
  • Paracautleya R.M.Sm.

Botanical description edit

 
Curcuma rhizome, sections and powder

Curcuma is a perennial, herbaceous plant that can reach a height of 1 meter. It emits numerous, edible rhizomes whose interiors are yellow or orange. These rhizomes are reduced to a powder, which is the spice called curcuma. Its lanceolate leaves are oblong or elliptical and are of a uniform green, and about 50cm long and 7 to 25 cm wide.[6]

Uses edit

The name is derived from the Sanskrit kuṅkuma, referring to turmeric. Turmeric is used to flavour or colour curry powders, mustards, butters, and cheeses; it may also be used as a substitute for saffron or other yellowish pigments.[7]

Species edit

 
Curcuma euchroma
 
Curcuma inodora
 
A. Bernecker: Curcuma longa
 
Curcuma longa

Plants of the World Online currently includes:[8]

  • Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb.
  • Curcuma albiflora Thwaites
  • Curcuma alismatifolia Gagnep. : Siam tulip
  • Curcuma amada Roxb. : mango-ginger
  • Curcuma amarissima Roscoe
  • Curcuma andersonii (Baker) Škornick.
  • Curcuma angustifolia Roxb.
  • Curcuma antinaia Chaveer. & Tanee
  • Curcuma arida Škornick. & N.S.Lý
  • Curcuma aromatica Salisb. : wild turmeric
  • Curcuma arracanensis W.J.Kress & V.Gowda
  • Curcuma attenuata Wall. ex Baker
  • Curcuma aurantiaca Zijp
  • Curcuma australasica Hook.f.
  • Curcuma bakeriana Hemsl.
  • Curcuma bella Maknoi, K.Larsen & Sirirugsa
  • Curcuma bhatii (R.M.Sm.) Škornick. & M.Sabu
  • Curcuma bicolor Mood & K.Larsen
  • Curcuma caesia Roxb.
  • Curcuma campanulata (Kuntze) Škornick.
  • Curcuma candida (Wall.) Techapr. & Škornick.
  • Curcuma cannanorensis R.Ansari, V.J.Nair & N.C.Nair
  • Curcuma caulina J.Graham
  • Curcuma ceratotheca K.Schum.
  • Curcuma clovisii Škornick.
  • Curcuma cochinchinensis Gagnep.
  • Curcuma codonantha Škornick., M.Sabu & Prasanthk.
  • Curcuma coerulea K.Schum.
  • Curcuma colorata Valeton
  • Curcuma comosa Roxb.
  • Curcuma coriacea Mangaly & M.Sabu
  • Curcuma corniculata Škornick.
  • Curcuma cotuana Luu, Škornick. & H.Ð.Tran
  • Curcuma decipiens Dalzell
  • Curcuma ecomata Craib
  • Curcuma elata Roxb.
  • Curcuma euchroma Valeton
  • Curcuma exigua N.Liu
  • Curcuma ferruginea Roxb.
  • Curcuma flammea Škornick.
  • Curcuma flaviflora S.Q.Tong
  • Curcuma glans K.Larsen & Mood
  • Curcuma glauca (Wall.) Škornick.
  • Curcuma gracillima Gagnep.
  • Curcuma graminifolia (K.Larsen & Jenjitt.) Škornick.
  • Curcuma grandiflora Wall. ex Baker
  • Curcuma gulinqingensis N.H.Xia & Juan Chen
  • Curcuma haritha Mangaly & M.Sabu
  • Curcuma harmandii Gagnep.
  • Curcuma heyneana Valeton & Zijp
  • Curcuma inodora Blatt.
  • Curcuma involucrata (King ex Baker) Škornick.
  • Curcuma karnatakensis Amalraj, Velay. & Mural.
  • Curcuma kayahensis Nob.Tanaka & M.M.Aung
  • Curcuma kudagensis Velay., V.S.Pillai & Amalraj
  • Curcuma kwangsiensis S.G.Lee & C.F.Liang
  • Curcuma larsenii Maknoi & Jenjitt.
  • Curcuma latiflora Valeton
  • Curcuma latifolia Roscoe
  • Curcuma leonidii Škornick. & Luu identified at Bu Gia Map National Park[9]
  • Curcuma leucorrhiza Roxb.
  • Curcuma loerzingii Valeton
  • Curcuma longa L. : turmeric - type species
  • Curcuma longispica Valeton
  • Curcuma macrochlamys (Baker) Škornick.
  • Curcuma mangga Valeton & Zijp
  • Curcuma meraukensis Valeton
  • Curcuma montana Roxb.
  • Curcuma mukhraniae R.Kr.Singh & Arti Garg
  • Curcuma mutabilis Škornick., M.Sabu & Prasanthk.
  • Curcuma myanmarensis (W.J.Kress) Škornick.
  • Curcuma nankunshanensis N.Liu, X.B.Ye & Juan Chen
  • Curcuma neilgherrensis Wight
  • Curcuma newmanii Škornick.[10]
  • Curcuma oligantha Trimen
  • Curcuma ornata Wall. ex Baker
  • Curcuma pambrosima Škornick. & N.S.Lý
  • Curcuma parviflora Wall.
  • Curcuma parvula Gage
  • Curcuma pedicellata (Chaveer. & Mokkamul) Škornick.
  • Curcuma peramoena Souvann. & Maknoi
  • Curcuma petiolata Roxb.
  • Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton
  • Curcuma picta Roxb. ex Škornick.
  • Curcuma pierreana Gagnep.
  • Curcuma plicata Wall. ex Baker
  • Curcuma porphyrotaenia Zipp. ex Span.
  • Curcuma prakasha S.Tripathi
  • Curcuma prasina Skornick.
  • Curcuma pseudomontana J.Graham
  • Curcuma purpurascens Blume
  • Curcuma putii Maknoi & Jenjitt.
  • Curcuma pygmaea Škornick. & Šída f.
  • Curcuma reclinata Roxb.
  • Curcuma rhabdota Sirirugsa & M.F.Newman
  • Curcuma rhomba Mood & K.Larsen
  • Curcuma roscoeana Wall.
  • Curcuma roxburghii M.A.Rahman & Yusuf
  • Curcuma rubescens Roxb.
  • Curcuma rubrobracteata Škornick., M.Sabu & Prasanthk.
  • Curcuma sahuynhensis Škornick. & N.S.Lý
  • Curcuma saraburiensis Boonma & Saensouk
  • Curcuma sattayasaiorum Chaveer. & Sudmoon
  • Curcuma scaposa (Nimmo) Škornick. & M.Sabu
  • Curcuma sessilis Gage
  • Curcuma sichuanensis X.X.Chen
  • Curcuma singularis Gagnep.
  • Curcuma sparganiifolia Gagnep.
  • Curcuma stenochila Gagnep.
  • Curcuma strobilifera Wall. ex Baker
  • Curcuma sumatrana Miq.
  • Curcuma supraneeana (W.J.Kress & K.Larsen) Škornick.
  • Curcuma sylvatica Valeton
  • Curcuma thorelii Gagnep.
  • Curcuma tongii Y.H.Tan & Li X.Zhang[11]
  • Curcuma trichosantha Gagnep.
  • Curcuma vamana M.Sabu & Mangaly
  • Curcuma viridiflora Roxb.
  • Curcuma vitellina Škornick. & H.Ð.Tran
  • Curcuma wallichii M.A.Rahman & Yusuf
  • Curcuma wilcockii M.A.Rahman & Yusuf
  • Curcuma woodii N.H.Xia & Juan Chen
  • Curcuma xanthella Škornick.[10]
  • Curcuma yingdeensis N.H.Xia & Juan Chen
  • Curcuma yunnanensis N.Liu & S.J.Chen
  • Curcuma zanthorrhiza Roxb. : temu lawak
  • Curcuma zedoaria (Christm.) Roscoe : zedoary
  • Curcuma zedoarioides Chaveer. & Tanee
  • Curcuma nepalensis M. Sabu, Kasaju & S. Subedi,

References edit

  1. ^ Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen
  2. ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  3. ^ "curcuma". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  4. ^ "Curcuma [family ZINGIBERACEAE]". Global Plants.
  5. ^ Sirirugsa, P.; Larsen, K.; Maknoi, C. (2007). "The Genus Curcuma L. (Zingiberaceae): Distribution and Classification with Reference to Species Diversity in Thailand" (PDF). Gardens' Bulletin Singapore. 59 (1&2): 203–220. S2CID 173169715. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  6. ^ Collectif (2016). Histoire Naturelle (in French). Paris: Flammarion. p. 149. ISBN 9782081378599.
  7. ^ Somadeva (1924) [1079]. "The use of turmeric (kuṅkuma) in ancient India". Kathasaritsagara [The Ocean of Story]. Vol. XIII, ch. 104. Translated by Tawney, C. H. B.R. Publishing Corporation. p. 13. ISBN 9789350501351.
  8. ^ Plants of the World Online: Curcuma L. (retrieved 3 May 2021)
  9. ^ "Leonid crocus (Curcuma leonidii) – a new species discovered in Bu Gia Map National Park in Binh Phuoc province". Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. Archived from the original on 2014-05-04. Retrieved 2014-05-03.
  10. ^ a b Leong-Škorničková, J.; Trần, H.Ð. (2013). "Two new species of Curcuma subgen. Ecomata (Zingiberaceae) from southern Vietnam". Gardens' Bulletin Singapore. 65 (2): 169–180.
  11. ^ Zhang, Li-Xia; Ding, Hong-Bo; Li, Hai-Tao; Zhang, Zhong-Lian; Tan, Yun-Hong (11 March 2019). "Curcuma tongii, a new species of Curcuma subgen. Ecomatae (Zingiberaceae) from southern Yunnan, China". Phytotaxa. 395 (3): 241. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.395.3.9. S2CID 92158324.

Gallery edit