''Curcuma'' () is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of plants in the 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 Af ...

that contains such species as

turmeric Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asi ...

and

Siam tulip ''Curcuma alismatifolia'', Siam tulip or summer tulip ( th, ปทุมมา, ; , ; , ) is a tropical plant native to Laos, northern Thailand, and Cambodia. Despite its name, it is not related to the tulip, but to the various ginger species ...

. They are native to

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

, southern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, the

Indian Subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

and northern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. Some species are reportedly naturalized in other warm parts of the world such as tropical

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, and various islands of the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

and

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

s. Generally, most curcuma grows well in loose and sandy soil in shaded areas.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref>

Botanical description

Curcuma is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

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 t ...

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

are reduced to a powder, which is the spice called curcuma. Its

lanceolate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

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 powder Curry powder is a spice mix originating from the Indian subcontinent where it is typically called garam masala. History Key ingredients of curry powder consist of ginger, garlic, fennel, mace, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon and turmeric ...

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...

s, 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 i ...

or other yellowish pigments.

Species

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

'' currently includes:Plants of the World Online: ''Curcuma'' L. (retrieved 3 May 2021)
/ref> # ''

Curcuma aeruginosa ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Roxb. # ''

Curcuma albiflora ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Thwaites # ''

Curcuma alismatifolia ''Curcuma alismatifolia'', Siam tulip or summer tulip ( th, ปทุมมา, ; , ; , ) is a tropical plant native to Laos, northern Thailand, and Cambodia. Despite its name, it is not related to the tulip, but to the various ginger species ...

'' Gagnep. : Siam tulip # ''

Curcuma amada ''Curcuma amada'', or mango ginger is a plant of the ginger family Zingiberaceae and is closely related to turmeric (''Curcuma longa''). The rhizomes are very similar to common ginger but lack its pungency, and instead have a raw mango flavour. ...

'' Roxb. : mango-ginger # '' Curcuma amarissima'' Roscoe # '' Curcuma andersonii'' (Baker) Škornick. # '' Curcuma angustifolia'' Roxb. # '' Curcuma antinaia'' Chaveer. & Tanee # ''

Curcuma arida ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 a ...

'' Škornick. & N.S.Lý # ''

Curcuma aromatica ''Curcuma aromatica'' (common name: wild turmeric) is a member of the genus ''Curcuma'' belonging to the family Zingiberaceae. Botanically close to '' Curcuma australasica'', wild turmeric has been widely used as a cosmetic herbal in South Asia a ...

'' Salisb. : wild turmeric # '' Curcuma arracanensis'' W.J.Kress & V.Gowda # '' Curcuma attenuata'' Wall. ex Baker # '' Curcuma aurantiaca'' Zijp # ''

Curcuma australasica ''Curcuma australasica'', the native turmeric, wild turmeric, or Cape York lily, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the Zingiberaceae or ginger family. Nomenclature :''Curcuma'' - from the Sanskrit name for turmeric, ''kuṅkuma'' ...

'' Hook.f. # ''

Curcuma bakeriana ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Hemsl. # ''

Curcuma bella ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Maknoi, K.Larsen & Sirirugsa # '' Curcuma bhatii'' (R.M.Sm.) Škornick. & M.Sabu # '' Curcuma bicolor'' Mood & K.Larsen # '' Curcuma caesia'' Roxb. # ''

Curcuma campanulata ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' (Kuntze) Škornick. # '' Curcuma candida'' (Wall.) Techapr. & Škornick. # ''

Curcuma cannanorensis ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' R.Ansari, V.J.Nair & N.C.Nair # '' Curcuma caulina'' J.Graham # '' Curcuma ceratotheca'' K.Schum. # '' Curcuma clovisii'' Škornick. # '' Curcuma cochinchinensis'' Gagnep. # '' Curcuma codonantha'' Škornick., M.Sabu & Prasanthk. # '' Curcuma coerulea'' K.Schum. # '' Curcuma colorata'' Valeton # ''

Curcuma comosa ''Curcuma comosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the ginger family. It is native to much of Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.Qu, Y., et al. (2009)Sesquiterpenes from ''Curcuma comosa''.''Journal of Natural Medicines'' 63 10 ...

'' Roxb. # ''

Curcuma coriacea ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Mangaly & M.Sabu # '' Curcuma corniculata'' Škornick. # '' Curcuma cotuana'' Luu, Škornick. & H.Ð.Tran # '' Curcuma decipiens'' Dalzell # '' Curcuma ecomata'' Craib # '' Curcuma elata'' Roxb. # '' Curcuma euchroma'' Valeton # '' Curcuma exigua'' N.Liu # '' Curcuma ferruginea'' Roxb. # '' Curcuma flammea'' Škornick. # '' Curcuma flaviflora'' S.Q.Tong # '' Curcuma glans'' K.Larsen & Mood # '' Curcuma glauca'' (Wall.) Škornick. # '' Curcuma gracillima'' Gagnep. # '' Curcuma graminifolia'' (K.Larsen & Jenjitt.) Škornick. # ''

Curcuma grandiflora ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 a ...

'' Wall. ex Baker # '' Curcuma gulinqingensis'' N.H.Xia & Juan Chen # '' Curcuma haritha'' Mangaly & M.Sabu # '' Curcuma harmandii'' Gagnep. # '' Curcuma heyneana'' Valeton & Zijp # '' Curcuma inodora'' Blatt. # '' Curcuma involucrata'' (King ex Baker) Škornick. # ''

Curcuma karnatakensis ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Amalraj, Velay. & Mural. # '' Curcuma kayahensis'' Nob.Tanaka & M.M.Aung # '' Curcuma kudagensis'' Velay., V.S.Pillai & Amalraj # ''

Curcuma kwangsiensis ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' S.G.Lee & C.F.Liang # '' Curcuma larsenii'' Maknoi & Jenjitt. # '' Curcuma latiflora'' Valeton # ''

Curcuma latifolia ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 a ...

'' Roscoe # '' Curcuma leonidii'' Škornick. & Luu identified at Bu Gia Map National Park # '' Curcuma leucorrhiza'' Roxb. # ''

Curcuma loerzingii ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Valeton # ''

Curcuma longa Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asi ...

'' L. : turmeric - type species # '' Curcuma longispica'' Valeton # '' Curcuma macrochlamys'' (Baker) Škornick. # ''

Curcuma mangga ''Curcuma amada'', or mango ginger is a plant of the ginger family Zingiberaceae and is closely related to turmeric (''Curcuma longa''). The rhizomes are very similar to common ginger but lack its pungency, and instead have a raw mango flavour. ...

'' Valeton & Zijp # '' Curcuma meraukensis'' Valeton # '' Curcuma montana'' Roxb. # ''

Curcuma mukhraniae ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' R.Kr.Singh & Arti Garg # ''

Curcuma mutabilis ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Škornick., M.Sabu & Prasanthk. # ''

Curcuma myanmarensis ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' (W.J.Kress) Škornick. # '' Curcuma nankunshanensis'' N.Liu, X.B.Ye & Juan Chen # ''

Curcuma neilgherrensis ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Wight # '' Curcuma newmanii'' Škornick. # ''

Curcuma oligantha ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Trimen # '' Curcuma ornata'' Wall. ex Baker # '' Curcuma pambrosima'' Škornick. & N.S.Lý # '' Curcuma parviflora'' Wall. # '' Curcuma parvula'' Gage # '' Curcuma pedicellata'' (Chaveer. & Mokkamul) Škornick. # ''

Curcuma peramoena ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Souvann. & Maknoi # ''

Curcuma petiolata ''Curcuma petiolata'' (also known as jewel of Thailand, Siam tulip, hidden ginger, pastel hidden ginger, hidden lily or queen lily) is a plant of the Zingiberaceae or ginger family. It is native to Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Java. Average heig ...

'' Roxb. # '' Curcuma phaeocaulis'' Valeton # '' Curcuma picta'' Roxb. ex Škornick. # '' Curcuma pierreana'' Gagnep. # ''

Curcuma plicata ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Wall. ex Baker # '' Curcuma porphyrotaenia'' Zipp. ex Span. # ''

Curcuma prakasha ''Curcuma prakasha'' is a species in the ginger family of plants, somewhat new to science. It was collected from open grassland (alt. c. 400m.) in the Garo Hills The Garo Hills (Pron: ˈgɑ:rəʊ) are part of the Garo-Khasi range in Meghalaya ...

'' S.Tripathi # ''

Curcuma prasina ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Skornick. # ''

Curcuma pseudomontana ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' J.Graham # '' Curcuma purpurascens'' Blume # '' Curcuma putii'' Maknoi & Jenjitt. # '' Curcuma pygmaea'' Škornick. & Šída f. # ''

Curcuma reclinata ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Roxb. # '' Curcuma rhabdota'' Sirirugsa & M.F.Newman # '' Curcuma rhomba'' Mood & K.Larsen # '' Curcuma roscoeana'' Wall. # '' Curcuma roxburghii'' M.A.Rahman & Yusuf # '' Curcuma rubescens'' Roxb. # '' Curcuma rubrobracteata'' Škornick., M.Sabu & Prasanthk. # '' Curcuma sahuynhensis'' Škornick. & N.S.Lý # '' Curcuma saraburiensis'' Boonma & Saensouk # '' Curcuma sattayasaiorum'' Chaveer. & Sudmoon # '' Curcuma scaposa'' (Nimmo) Škornick. & M.Sabu # '' Curcuma sessilis'' Gage # '' Curcuma sichuanensis'' X.X.Chen # '' Curcuma singularis'' Gagnep. # '' Curcuma sparganiifolia'' Gagnep. # '' Curcuma stenochila'' Gagnep. # '' Curcuma strobilifera'' Wall. ex Baker # ''

Curcuma sumatrana ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Miq. # '' Curcuma supraneeana'' (W.J.Kress & K.Larsen) Škornick. # '' Curcuma sylvatica'' Valeton # '' Curcuma thorelii'' Gagnep. # '' Curcuma tongii'' Y.H.Tan & Li X.Zhang # ''

Curcuma trichosantha ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' Gagnep. # '' Curcuma vamana'' M.Sabu & Mangaly # '' Curcuma viridiflora'' Roxb. # '' Curcuma vitellina'' Škornick. & H.Ð.Tran # '' Curcuma wallichii'' M.A.Rahman & Yusuf # ''

Curcuma wilcockii ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' M.A.Rahman & Yusuf # '' Curcuma woodii'' N.H.Xia & Juan Chen # '' Curcuma xanthella'' Škornick. # '' Curcuma yingdeensis'' N.H.Xia & Juan Chen # ''

Curcuma yunnanensis ''Curcuma'' () is a genus of plants in the 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 ...

'' N.Liu & S.J.Chen # '' Curcuma zanthorrhiza'' Roxb. : temu lawak # ''

Curcuma zedoaria ''Curcuma zedoaria'' (zedoary, white turmeric, or temu putih) is a perennial herb and member of the genus ''Curcuma'', family Zingiberaceae. The plant is native to South Asia and Southeast Asia but is now naturalized in other places including th ...

'' (Christm.) Roscoe : zedoary # '' Curcuma zedoarioides'' Chaveer. & Tanee

References

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.'' {{Authority control Zingiberaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus