Curcuma

Curcuma 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. 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.

Botanical description
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.

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.

Species


Plants of the World Online currently includes:


 * 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 ignea Ruchis. & Jenjitt.
 * 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
 * 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 nepalensis M.Sabu, Kasaju & S.Subedi
 * Curcuma newmanii Škornick.
 * 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
 * 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.
 * 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