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Zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria)

Dlium Zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria)

Temu putih or white tumeric or zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria) is a species of plant in the Zingiberaceae, herbaceous perennial, up to 50 cm high, leaves lanceolate elongated, green and purple along the midrib.

Flowers come out of the side rhizome, towering upwards to form a large flower head. The corolla is white or green with red or yellow at the top and edges. The rhizome is white or bright yellow.





Zedoary grows wild at elevations up to 1000 meters and has been commercialized for its rhizome medicinal and medicinal uses. Natural products are widely used in the perfume industry, dyes for the food and drug industries or drug mixtures.

The rhizome is used as a cure for scurvy, skin inflammation, blood washing, flatulence and other disorders of the digestive tract. Research shows antitumor, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity.

The essential oil components of the rhizomes consist of Guaian derivatives (kurkumol, kurkumenol, Isokurkumenol, Prokurkumenol, Kurkurnadiol), Germakran derivatives (Kurdion, Dehidrokurdion), sesquiterpene furanoids with a eudesman framework (Kurkolon). Germakran framework (Furanodienon, Isofuranodienon, Zederon, Furanodien, Furanogermenon), Eleman framework (Kursereron is identical to edoaron, Epicurserenon, Isofurano germakren), Acid-4-methoxycinnamic (fungistatic). From the results of other studies found curcumanolid A, curleumanolid B, and curcuminone.

The edible rhizome has a white inside and an aroma reminiscent of mango. However, it tastes more like ginger, except for a very bitter aftertaste. The rhizomes are ground into a powder and added to make white curry paste. The rhizomes are also often used fresh or pickled. The rhizomes are raw and thinly sliced for certain salads.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Subfamily: Zingiberoideae
Tribe: Zingibereae
Genus: Curcuma L. in Sp. Pl.: 2 (1753)
Subgenus: Curcuma
Species: Curcuma zedoaria (Christm.) Roscoe in Trans. Linn. Soc. London 8: 354 (1807)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Amomum latifolium Salisb. in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 4 (1796)
Amomum zedoaria Christm. in G.F.Christmann & G.W.F.Panzer, Vollst. Pflanzensyst. 5: 12 (1779)
Curcuma speciosa Link in Enum. Hort. Berol. Alt. 1: 3 (1821)
Zingiber truncatum Stokes in Bot. Mat. Med. 1: 68 (1812)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Costus luteus Blanco in Fl. Filip.: 4 (1837)
Costus nigricans Blanco in Fl. Filip., ed. 2.: 3 (1845)
Curcuma malabarica Velay., Amalraj & Mural. in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 14: 189 (1990)
Curcuma pallida Lour. in Fl. Cochinch.: 9 (1790)
Curcuma porphyrotaenia Zipp. ex K.Schum. in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 46: 114 (1904)
Curcuma raktakanta Mangaly & M.Sabu in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 12: 475 (1988 publ. 1989)
Erndlia zerumbet Giseke in Prael. Ord. Nat. Pl.: 199 (1792)
Roscoea lutea (Blanco) Hassk. in Flora 47: 21 (1864)
Roscoea nigrociliata Hassk. in Flora 47: 21 (1864)

PUBLICATIONS

Ahmed, Z.U. (ed.) (2008). Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh 12: 1-505. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.

Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. &
Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.

Dy Phon, P. (2000). Dictionnaire des plantes utilisées au Cambodge: 1-915. Chez l'auteur, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.

Newman, M. & Sangvirotjanapat, S. (2023). Flora of Thailand 16(2): 333-747. The Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department.

Nguyen, Q.B. (2017). Thực Vật Chí Việt Nam. Flora of Vietnam 21: 1-489. Nhà xuất bản khoa học và kỹ thuật, Hà Nội.

Raju, V.S., Reddy, C.S. & Ragan, A. (2006). Curcuma L. (Zingiberaceae) in Andhra Pradesh: a preliminary study. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 30: 773-775.

Sirirugsa, P., Larsen, K. & Maknoi, C. (2007). The genus Curcuma L. (Zingiberaceae): distribution and classification with reference to species diversity in Thailand. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 59: 203-220.

Tanaka, N., Koyama, T. & Murata, J. (2005). The flowering plants of Mt. Popa, central Myanmar - Results of Myanmar-Japanese joint expeditions, 2000-2004. Makinoa 5: 1-102.

Škornicková, J. & Sabu, M. (2005). The identity and distribution of Curcuma zanthorrhiza Roxb. (Zingiberaceae). Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 57: 199-210.

Škornicková, J.L., Sída, O. & Marhold, K. (2010). Back to types! Towards stability of names in Indian Curcuma L. (Zingiberaceae). Taxon 59: 269-282.

VERNACULAR NAME

Chinese (simplified): 白莪朮
Chinese (traditional): 莪朮 - 白莪朮
English: Zedoary, White Tumeric, Temu Putih
Indonesian: Temu Putih, Kunyit Putih
Thai: ขมิ้นอ้อย

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