Curcuma pseudomontana

R. Graham

Hill turmeric

ZingiberaceaeRoots

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(c) Dinesh Valke, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Tubers, Root, Starch, Rhizome

The tubers and rhizomes yield a form of arrowroot starch, and are used as an emergency food source when food is scarce.

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. It grows in moist shady places in forests. It occurs on the Deccan in India. It is usually in shade and near the banks of streams. It occurs at about 800 m or higher above sea level.

Asia, India,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A ginger family herb. It is erect and grows 75 cm tall. It has a stout rootstock and round tubers at the ends of roots. They are white inside. There are 3-5 leaves. They are oblong to sword shaped and 20-30 cm long by 6-9 cm wide. The flowering spikes are 10-25 cm long. The bracts are green with a pink top. There are 2-4 flowers in each fertile bract. They are yellow. The fruit are round capsules splitting by 3 valves. The seeds are oval.

Medicinal Uses

The rhizomes are processed into starch for traditional use.

Other Information

It is used when food is scarce.

Notes

There are about 50 Curcuma species. They are mostly in SE Asia.

Names & Synonyms

Kachura, Kattumanjal, Raan halada, Sinderwani, Sindarbar

Curcuma grahamiana Voigt [Illegitimate]Curcuma ranadei Prain

References (7)

Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 152
Kew, Plants of the World on Line
Kuvar, S. D. & Shinde, R. D., 2019, Wild Edible Plants used by Kokni Tribe of Nasik District, Maharashtra. Journal of Global Biosciences. Volume 8, Number 2, 2019, pp. 5936-5945
Lim, T. K., 2015, Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants. Volume 9, Modified Stems, Roots, Bulbs. Springer p 30
Lim, T. K., 2016, Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 12 Modified Stems, Roots p 7
Patil, M. V. & Patil, D. A., 2000, Some More Wild Edible Plants of Nasik District (Maharashtra). Ancient Science of Life Vol. X1X (3&4): 102-104
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