Wild turmeric, Yellow zeodary
Curcuma aromatica

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A ginger family herb that keeps growing from year to year. It grows 1 m tall and spreads widely. It has fleshy underground roots or rhizomes. It has cane like false stems and sword shaped leaves. The leaves are pointed and can be 60 cm long. The flowers are on leafy stems. They are in cone like heads. The flowers have 3 petals. There are large coloured bracts around the flowers. The flower stems are 60 cm long and the flowering head is 20 cm long. The lower bracts are pale green and the upper bracts are pink. The flowers are yellow and white.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. They need warm, frost-free climates. They need moist, humus-rich, well drained soil. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India (country/location of origin), Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Young shoots are eaten as a vegetable. The rhizome is pounded and used as a substitute for turmeric.

Edible parts

Shoots, rhizomes, root, starch

How it is grown

They can be grown from seed or by division.

Its other names

Local names

Banha-ledo, Ban-halud, Bon haldi, Cochin turmeric, Indian arrowroot, Jangli-haldi, Kasturi pasupu, Kasturi-arishina, Kasturi-manjal, Mar-lar-pu, Nangdum, Palua, Ran-halada, Tawn-sanwin, Van haldi, Vana-haridra

Synonyms

Curcuma wenyujin Y. H. Chen & C. Ling;