Curcuma petiolata (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Curcuma petiolata Roxb.

Protologue: Fl. ind. (Carey ed.) 1: 36 (1820).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: temu badur (Javanese), temu putri (Malay, Jakarta), temu tihing (Balinese).

Distribution

Burma (Myanmar), Java and Bali; possibly also in the Moluccas.

Uses

Rhizomes are used in the treatment of anorexia, puerperal fever and colic.

Observations

• A herb with rhizome not elongated, forming a compact mass, outside sallow-yellow, inside pale yellow.
• Leaf sheaths 20-30 cm long, blades broadly elliptical-ovate to elliptical-lanceolate, 15-65 cm × 6-30 cm, green.
• Inflorescence terminal on a leafy shoot, bracts greenish with violet streaks to entirely violet, coma bracts dark red to purplish.
• Corolla 3-3.5 cm long, white with yellow or pink tips; labellum 13-17 mm × 15-17 mm, pale orange, other staminodes straight, pale orange, anther with short spurs.

C. petiolata is naturalized in teak forest, upland fields, near bamboo stools and in other shaded places, up to 1600 m altitude. The status of this species needs further attention.

Selected sources

• Balakrishnan, N.P. & Bhargava, N., 1984. The genus Curcuma L. (Zingiberaceae) on Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 81: 510-514.
• Darwis SN, Madjo Indo, A.B.D. & Hasiyah, S., 1991. Tumbuhan obat famili Zingiberaceae [Medicinal plants of the Zingiberaceae]. Seri Pengembangan No. 17. Pusat Penelitian dan Pengembangan Tanaman Industri, Bogor, Indonesia. 103 pp.
• Dulawan, M.J.K. & Soriano, N.R., 1991. Antibacterial property of gatas gatas plant. BSc thesis pharmacy. Manila Central University, the Philippines.
• Valeton, T., 1918. New notes on the Zingiberaceae of Java and the Malayan Archipelago. Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg, Série II, 27: 1-167.
• van Zijp, C., 1915. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Zingiberaceën [Contributions to the knowledge of Zingiberaceae]. Recueil des Travaux Botaniques Néerlandais 12: 340-347.

Main genus page

• Curcuma (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• Trimurti H. Wardini & Budi Prakoso