Curcuma caesia
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| Taxonavigation: Zingiberales |
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| Classification System: APG III (down to family level)
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Familia: Zingiberaceae
Subfamilia: Zingiberoideae
Tribus: Zingibereae
Genus: Curcuma
Species: Curcuma caesia
[edit] Name
Curcuma caesia Roxb. (蓝姜)
[edit] Synonym
- Curcuma kuchoor Royle, nomen nudum
[edit] Description
Black Turmeric (Curcuma Caesia) is a kind of turmeric with bluish-black rhizome, famous for its unique medicinal properties. It is a perennial herb, belonging to Zingiberaceae (Ginger) family, native to North-East and Central India. Presently Black Turmeric is on the verge of extinction due to Bio-piracy.
[edit] Common Names
Black Turmeric • Hindi: काली हल्दी Kali Haldi, Nar Kachura, कृष्ण केदार Krishna kedar • Yaingang Amuba • Marathi: काला हल्दी Kala-haldi • Telugu: Nalla Pasupu • Kannada: kariarishina, naru kachora • Bengali: Kala haldi • Mizo: Aihang, Ailaihang • Assamese: kala haladhi • Nepalese: कालो हलेदो Kaalo haledo.Tamil Karu manjal
[edit] Identification
The leaves have a deep violet-red patch which runs through the length of the lamina. Usually, the upper side of the leaf is rough, velvety, but this character may vary. Flowering bracts are green with a rustic tinge. Flower petals may be deep pink or red in color. The inside of the rhizome is deep-blue or bluish-black in color. The rhizome is bitter, hot taste with pungent smell. The name 'Black Turmeric' holds due to the presence of cells related to black color in the rhizome. The rhizome slightly resembles the light-grey rhizome of Curcuma Aeruginosa.
[edit] Chemical Constituents
Scientific researches on the volatile rhizomes oil of Curcuma caesia resulted in the identification of 30 components, representing 97.48% of the oil, with camphor (28.3%), ar-turmerone (12.3%), (Z)--ocimene (8.2%), ar-curcumene (6.8%), 1,8-cineole (5.3%), -elemene (4.8%), borneol (4.4%), bornyl acetate (3.3%) and -curcumene (2.82%) as the major constituents.
[edit] Medicinal Uses
Claimed to be useful in treating Piles, Leprosy, Bronchitis, Asthma, Cancer, Epilepsy, Fever, Wounds, Impotency, Fertility, Menstrual disorders, tooth ache, vomiting etc. For curing wounds, pimples, allergies, raw paste of rhizomes is applied externally. For migraine, 2 – 4 drops of fresh juice is poured in nose. For longevity, impotence, infertility, irregular menstrual flow, a spoonful powder from dried rhizomes is mixed with a spoonful of honey or a cup of milk is taken twice a day. For gastric troubles, a fresh piece of rhizome is chewed.
[edit] Other Uses
The dried leaves are used as a source for fuel. North Indian tribes use Black Turmeric as a talisman to keep the evil spirits away.
[edit] References
- Roxburgh, William: In: Flora Indica or Description of Indian Plants (ed.: Carey, W.), Vol. 1, p. 1-82, (1820), Serampore; [C. caesia on p. 26].
- Roxburgh, W.: Description of several of the Monandrous Plants of India belonging to the natural order called Scitamineae by Linnaeus; Cannae by Jussiue, and Drimyrhizae by Ventenat. In: Asiatic Researches, or: Transactions of the Society instituted in Bengal for inquiring the history and antiquities, the arts, science, and literature, of Asia Vol. 11, p. 318-362 (1810), [C. caesia on p. 335].
- Royle, J. Forbes: In: Illustrations of the botany and other branches of the natural history of the Himalayan mountains, and of the flora of Cashmere Vol. 1, p. 357, 359 (1839), Wm. H. Allen & Co., London; [C. kuchoor].
- Baker, John Gilbert: In: Flora of British India (ed.: Josef Dalton Hooker) Vol. 6 (1890, publ. 1894) Chapter CXLIX: Scitamineae (p. 198-263), sub-chapter Curcuma Linn. (p. 209-216), Lovell Reeve & Co., London, [C. caesia on p. 212].
- Schumann, K.: Zingiberaceae. In: Das Pflanzenreich (ed. A. Engler) Vol. IV, pt. 46 (no. 20), p. 112 (1904), [Curcuma sp. on p. 99-115].
- Amalraj, V.A.; Velayudhan, K.C.; Muralidharan, V.K.: A note on the anomalous flowering behaviour in Curcuma caesia (Zingiberaceae). In: Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society Vol. 86 (no. 2), p. 278-279 (1989), ISSN 0006-6982, CODEN JBOMAA.
- Mangaly, J.K.; Sabu, M.: Curcuma caesia Roxb. (Zingiberaceae): a new record from South India. In: Higher Plants of Indian Subcontinent Vol. 1, p. 15-17 (1990), Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehra Dun.
- Mangaly, J.K.; Sabu, M.: A taxonomic revision of the South Indian species of Curcuma L. (Zingiberaceae). In: Rheedea Vol. 3 (no. 2), p. 139-171 (1993), ISSN 0971-2313, CODEN RHEEE2.
