Curcuma aeruginosa

Roxb.

Pink and blue ginger

Zingiberaceae Edible: Tips, Shoots, Rhizome - Spice 20 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A herb in the ginger family. It grows 40-150 cm high. The underground rhizome is large and branched. It is 16 cm long by 3 cm wide. It is grey on the outside. The tips are white or pink. It is blue inside. The leaves are strap-shaped. The flowers are in a dense cylinder shaped group on a stalk from the base. The flowers are tube shaped and pink. The fruit is a narrowly oval capsule. The seeds have a fleshy layer around them.

Edible Uses

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.

Traditional Uses

The young tips are eaten. The rhizomes are used as a spice.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The rhizomes are considered to be anthelmintic and depurative. They are used to treat a range of conditions including colic, menstrual disorders, asthma and cough, obesity and rheumatism. They are used externally to treat skin conditions such as scurvy and itchy skins. They have been suggested as an application for treating mental derangement. In Indonesia and Thailand, rhizomes are the chief ingredient of a decoction given to women after childbirth to accelerate the lochia. An ethyl alcohol extract of the rhizome has shown interesting oestrogenic properties. In addition, it has shown a growth-promoting effect on skin cells and also reduces cell death from oxidation. The plant has potential as an active ingredient in preparations for the treatment of skin-ageing in post-menopausal women.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in limestone areas. It grows in grassy places and teak forests up to 750 m above sea level. In Queen Sirikit BG.

Where It Grows

Asia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, SE Asia*, Thailand, Vietnam, West Timor,

Cultivation

It can be grown from seeds or division of the rhizome.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe. Germinates best at temperatures around 20°c. Division of the rhizome when the plant is dormant.

Other Uses

A dye can be obtained from the rhizome.

Notes

There are about 18-40-50 Curcuma species. They are mostly in SE Asia. It is used in medicine.

Also Known As

Dark blue temu, Koneng hideung, Temu erang, Temu hitam, Temu ireng, Temulawak, Temu lotong, Wan mahamek

References (12)

Anderson, E. F., 1993, Plants and people of the Golden Triangle. Dioscorides Press. p 208
Asiat. Res. 11:335. 1810
Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 1 (A-H) p 716
Larsen, K., Ibrahim, H., Khaw, S.H., & Saw, L.G., 1999, Gingers of Peninsula Malaysia and Singapore. Natural History Publications (Borneo). p 45
Lembaga Biologi Nasional, 1977, Ubi-Ubian, Balai Pustaka, Jakarta. p 80

Show all 12 references

Lim, T. K., 2015, Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants. Volume 9, Modified Stems, Roots, Bulbs. Springer p 29
Lim, T. K., 2016, Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 12 Modified Stems, Roots p 6
PROSEA handbook Volume 9 Plants yielding non-seed carbohydrates. p 188
Somnasang, P., Moreno, G and Chusil K., 1998, Indigenous knowledge of wild hunting and gathering in north-east Thailand. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 19(4) p 359f
Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 1097
Thitiprasert, W., et al, 2007, Country report on the State of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Thailand (1997-2004). FAO p 95
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew