''Curcuma'' () is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of plants in the ginger family

Zingiberaceae Zingiberaceae () or the ginger family is a family of flowering plants made up of about 50 genera with a total of about 1600 known species of aromatic perennial herbs with creeping horizontal or tuberous rhizomes distributed throughout tropical ...

that contains such species as

turmeric Turmeric (), or ''Curcuma longa'' (), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between and high ...

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 In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

plant that can reach a height of 1 meter. It emits numerous, edible

rhizomes In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

whose interiors are yellow or orange. These rhizomes are reduced to a powder, which is the spice called curcuma. Its

lanceolate The following terms are used to describe leaf plant morphology, morphology in the description and taxonomy (biology), taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade ...

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 is used to flavour or colour curry powders, mustards, butters, and cheeses; it may also be used as a substitute for

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of '' Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent ...

or other yellowish pigments.

Species

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

accepts the following 167 species: *'' Curcuma achrae'' *'' Curcuma aeruginosa'' *'' Curcuma albiflora'' *'' Curcuma alismatifolia'' *'' Curcuma amada'' *'' Curcuma amarissima'' *'' Curcuma andersonii'' *'' Curcuma angustifolia'' *'' Curcuma antinaia'' *'' Curcuma arida'' *'' Curcuma aromatica'' *'' Curcuma arracanensis'' *'' Curcuma aruna'' *'' Curcuma attenuata'' *'' Curcuma aurantiaca'' *'' Curcuma australasica'' *'' Curcuma bakeriana'' *'' Curcuma bella'' *'' Curcuma bhatii'' *'' Curcuma bicolor'' *'' Curcuma caesia'' *'' Curcuma campanulata'' *'' Curcuma candida'' *'' Curcuma cannanorensis'' *'' Curcuma caulina'' *'' Curcuma ceratotheca'' *'' Curcuma chantaranothaii'' *'' Curcuma charanii'' *'' Curcuma cinnabarina'' *'' Curcuma clovisii'' *'' Curcuma cochinchinensis'' *'' Curcuma codonantha'' *'' Curcuma coerulea'' *'' Curcuma colorata'' *'' Curcuma comosa'' *'' Curcuma cordata'' *'' Curcuma coriacea'' *'' Curcuma corniculata'' *'' Curcuma cotuana'' *'' Curcuma decipiens'' *'' Curcuma eburnea'' *'' Curcuma ecomata'' *'' Curcuma elata'' *'' Curcuma euchroma'' *'' Curcuma exigua'' *'' Curcuma ferruginea'' *'' Curcuma fimbriata'' *'' Curcuma flammea'' *'' Curcuma flaviflora'' *'' Curcuma glans'' *'' Curcuma glauca'' *'' Curcuma globulifera'' *'' Curcuma gracillima'' *'' Curcuma graminifolia'' *'' Curcuma grandiflora'' *'' Curcuma gulinqingensis'' *'' Curcuma haritha'' *'' Curcuma harmandii'' *'' Curcuma heyneana'' *'' Curcuma ignea'' *'' Curcuma inodora'' *'' Curcuma involucrata'' *'' Curcuma karnatakensis'' *'' Curcuma kayahensis'' *'' Curcuma kudagensis'' *'' Curcuma kwangsiensis'' *'' Curcuma lampangensis'' *'' Curcuma larsenii'' *'' Curcuma latiflora'' *'' Curcuma latifolia'' *'' Curcuma leonidii'' *'' Curcuma leucorrhiza'' *'' Curcuma lindstromii'' *'' Curcuma lithophila'' *'' Curcuma loerzingii'' *''

Curcuma longa Turmeric (), or ''Curcuma longa'' (), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between and high A ...

Gallery

Image:Curcuma aeruginosa1.jpg, ''Curcuma aeruginosa'' Image:Curcuma longa (Haldi) Im IMG 2441.jpg, ''Curcuma longa'' Image:Curcuma by titanium22.jpg, ''Curcuma sp.'' Image:Curcuma sp.jpg, ''Curcuma sp.''

References

{{Authority control Zingiberaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus