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Curcuma

File:Curcuma_zedoaria_-_Köhler–s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-048.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Curcuma () is a genus of plants in the ginger 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.

OverviewAI-generated

Curcuma, commonly known as China turmeric, is a genus of plants within the family Zingiberaceae. It belongs to the order Zingiberales, class Liliopsida, and phylum Tracheophyta in the kingdom Plantae. The scientific name for the genus is Curcuma L.

The genus has been introduced to various regions, including Belize, Borneo, the Caroline Islands, Comoros, Congo, the Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Easter Island, and Fiji. Records of the genus are held by institutions in the US, with occurrences documented in countries such as Micronesia, Federated States Of, Bolivia, Haiti, China, and Thailand.

Synthesized by Vinony from 24 facts across 6 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, Gbif Occ, Plants of the World, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

Curcuma

GENUS

  1. KingdomPlantae
  2. PhylumTracheophyta
  3. ClassLiliopsida
  4. OrderZingiberales
  5. FamilyZingiberaceae
Native toAndaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, India, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya
Observations recorded9,974

Common Name: China turmeric

via GBIF · Kew POWO

Museum specimens

Specimen records
643
With media
650
Family
Zingiberaceae
Collections
US
Recorded in
Micronesia, Federated States Of, Bolivia, Haiti, China, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, United States

~5 min read

Encyclopedic overview

5 sections
Contents
  • Botanical description
  • Uses
  • Species
  • Gallery
  • References

Curcuma () is a genus of plants in the ginger 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 == right|thumb|Curcuma rhizome, sections and powder Curcuma is a perennial, herbaceous plant that can reach a height of . 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 long and wide.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Curcuma” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (22)