Curcuma

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Cladus: Commelinids
Ordo: Zingiberales

Familia: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Curcuma
Subgenera: C. subg. Curcuma – C. subg. Ecomatae – C. subg. Hitcheniopsis
Species: C. achrae – C. aeruginosa – C. albiflora – C. alismatifolia – C. amada – C. amarissima – C. andersonii – C. angustifolia – C. antinaia – C. arida – C. aromatica – C. arracanensis – C. aruna – C. attenuata – C. aurantiaca – C. australasica – C. bakeriana – C. bella – C. bhatii – C. bicolor – C. caesia – C. campanulata – C. candida – C. cannanorensis – C. caulina – C. ceratotheca – C. chantaranothaii – C. charanii – C. cinnabarina – C. clovisii – C. cochinchinensis – C. codonantha – C. coerulea – C. colorata – C. comosa – C. cordata – C. coriacea – C. corniculata – C. cotuana – C. decipiens – C. eburnea – C. ecomata – C. elata – C. euchroma – C. exigua – C. ferruginea – C. fimbriata – C. flammea – C. flaviflora – C. glans – C. glauca – C. globulifera – C. gracillima – C. graminifolia – C. grandiflora – C. gulinqingensis – C. haritha – C. harmandii – C. heyneana – C. inodora – C. involucrata – C. karnatakensis – C. kayahensis – C. kudagensis – C. kwangsiensis – C. lampangensis – C. larsenii – C. latiflora – C. latifolia – C. leonidii – C. leucorrhiza – C. lindstromii – C. lithophila – C. loerzingii – C. longa – C. longispica – C. macrochlamys – C. mangga – C. meraukensis – C. micrantha – C. montana – C. mukhraniae – C. mutabilis – C. myanmarensis – C. nakhonphanomensis – C. nankunshanensis – C. neilgherrensis – C. newmanii – C. oligantha – C. ornata – C. pambrosima – C. papilionacea – C. parviflora – C. parvula – C. pedicellata – C. peramoena – C. petiolata – C. phaeocaulis – C. phrayawan – C. picta – C. pierreana – C. pitukii – C. plicata – C. prakasha – C. prasina – C. pseudomontana – C. puangpeniae – C. purpurascens – C. purpurata – C. putii – C. pygmaea – C. rangjued – C. rangsimae – C. reclinata – C. rhabdota – C. rhomba – C. roscoeana – C. rosea – C. roxburghii – C. rubescens – C. rubrobracteata – C. rufostriata – C. ruiliensis – C. sabhasrii – C. sahuynhensis – C. saraburiensis – C. sattayasaiorum – C. scaposa – C. sessilis – C. siamensis – C. sichuanensis – C. singularis – C. sixsensesensis – C. sparganiifolia – C. spathulata – C. stahlianthoides – C. stenochila – C. stolonifera – C. strobilifera – C. sumatrana – C. suphanensis – C. supraneeana – C. sylvatica – C. thorelii – C. tongii – C. trichosantha – C. vamana – C. vinhlinhensis – C. viridiflora – C. vitellina – C. wallichii – C. wanenlueanga – C. wilcockii – C. woodii – C. xanthella – C. yingdeensis – C. yunnanensis – C. zanthorrhiza – C. zedoaria – C. zedoarioides

Species need deleting: C. chuanezhu – C. chuanhuangjiang

C. aeruginosa - C. bhatii - C. colorata - - C. cordifolia - - C. domestica - - C. erubescens - - C. longa - C. longiflora - - C. pallida - C. rubescens - C. rubricaulis - - C. zedoaria - C. zerumbet

Name

Curcuma L., Sp. Pl. 1: 2. 1753; Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 3. 1754, nom. cons.

Type species: Curcuma longa L., typ. cons.

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Erndlia Giseke, Prael. Ord. Nat. Pl.: 199. (1792)
Typus: Erndlia subpersonata Giseke
Kua Medik., Hist. & Commentat. Acad. Elect. Sci. 6 (Phys.): 394. (1790)
Typus: Kua domestica Medik., nom. illeg.
Stissera Giseke, Prael. Ord. Nat. ad 202, 207. (1792)
Typus: Stissera curcuma Giseke, nom. illeg.
Hitchenia Wall., Trans. Med. Soc. Calcutta 7: 215 (1834 publ. 1835)
Zedoaria Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4: 53 (1838), nom. nud.
Dischema Voigt, Hort. Suburb. Calcutt.: 566 (1845)
Stahlianthus Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 697 (1891)
Hitcheniopsis (Baker) Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 4: 233 (1924)
Paracautleya R.M.Sm., Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 35: 367. (1977)
Typus: Paracautleya bhatii R.M.Sm.
Laosanthus K.Larsen & Jenjitt., Nordic J. Bot. 31: 135 (2001)
Smithatris W.J.Kress & K.Larsen, Syst. Bot. 26: 226 (2001)

References
Primary references

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus I: 2. Reference page.
Linnaeus, C. 1754. Genera Plantarum, ed. 5: 3. Reference page.

Additional references

Leong-Škorničková, J.A.N.A., Šída, O., Wijesundara, S. & Marhold, K. 2008. On the identity of turmeric: the typification of Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 157(1): 37-46. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2008.00788.x Open access Reference page.
Leong-Škorničková, J., Šída, O. & Marhold, K. 2010. Back to types! Towards stability of names in Indian Curcuma L. (Zingiberaceae). Taxon 59(1): 269–282. DOI: 10.1002/tax.591025 Paywall, JSTOR Hybrid open access journal, ResearchGate Open access. PDF. Reference page.
Leong-Škorničková, J., Šída, O., Záveská, E. & Marhold, K. 2015. History of infrageneric classification, typification of supraspecific names and outstanding transfers in Curcuma (Zingiberaceae). Taxon 64(2): 362-373. DOI: 10.12705/642.11 Paywall ResearchGate Reference page.

Links

Farr, E.R. & Zijlstra, G. (eds.) 1996 onwards. Curcuma in Index Nominum Genericorum (Plantarum). Accessed: 2010 Jan 26.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2023. Curcuma in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2023 Aug. 13. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2023. Curcuma. Published online. Accessed: Aug. 13 2023. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2023. Curcuma. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 14 Nov. 2023.

Vernacular names
беларуская: Куркума
English: Tumerics and allies
eesti: Kollajuur
suomi: Kurkumat
italiano: Curcuma
македонски: Куркума
polski: Ostryż
中文: 姜黄属

Curcuma (/ˈkɜːrkjʊmə/)[2] is a genus of plants in the ginger 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.[3] 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.[1][4]
Botanical description
Curcuma rhizome, sections and powder

Curcuma is a perennial, herbaceous plant that can reach a height of 1 meter. It emits numerous, edible rhizomes whose interiors are yellow or orange. These rhizomes are reduced to a powder, which is the spice called curcuma. Its lanceolate leaves are oblong or elliptical and are of a uniform green, and about 50cm long and 7 to 25 cm wide.[5]
Uses

The name is derived from the Sanskrit kuṅkuma, referring to turmeric. Turmeric is used to flavour or colour curry powders, mustards, butters, and cheeses; it may also be used as a substitute for saffron or other yellowish pigments.[6]
Species
Curcuma euchroma
Curcuma inodora
A. Bernecker: Curcuma longa
Curcuma longa

As of February 2025, Plants of the World Online accepts the following 167 species:[1]

Curcuma achrae Saensouk & Boonma
Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb.
Curcuma albiflora Thwaites
Curcuma alismatifolia Gagnep.
Curcuma amada Roxb.
Curcuma amarissima Roscoe
Curcuma andersonii (Baker) Škorničk.
Curcuma angustifolia Roxb.
Curcuma antinaia Chaveer. & Tanee
Curcuma arida Škorničk. & N.S.Lý
Curcuma aromatica Salisb.
Curcuma arracanensis W.J.Kress & V.Gowda
Curcuma aruna Maknoi & Saensouk
Curcuma attenuata Wall. ex Baker
Curcuma aurantiaca Zijp
Curcuma australasica Hook.f.
Curcuma bakeriana Hemsl.
Curcuma bella Maknoi, K.Larsen & Sirirugsa
Curcuma bhatii (R.M.Sm.) Škorničk. & M.Sabu
Curcuma bicolor Mood & K.Larsen
Curcuma caesia Roxb.
Curcuma campanulata (Kuntze) Škorničk.
Curcuma candida (Wall.) Techapr. & Škorničk.
Curcuma cannanorensis R.Ansari, V.J.Nair & N.C.Nair
Curcuma caulina J.Graham
Curcuma ceratotheca K.Schum.
Curcuma chantaranothaii Boonma & Saensouk
Curcuma charanii Boonma & Saensouk
Curcuma cinnabarina Škorničk. & Soonthornk.
Curcuma clovisii Škorničk.
Curcuma cochinchinensis Gagnep.
Curcuma codonantha Škorničk., M.Sabu & Prasanthk.
Curcuma coerulea K.Schum.
Curcuma colorata Valeton
Curcuma comosa Roxb.
Curcuma cordata Wall.
Curcuma coriacea Mangaly & M.Sabu
Curcuma corniculata Škorničk.
Curcuma cotuana Luu, Škorničk. & H.Ð.Trần
Curcuma decipiens Dalzell
Curcuma eburnea Škorničk., Suksathan & Soonthornk.
Curcuma ecomata Craib
Curcuma elata Roxb.
Curcuma euchroma Valeton
Curcuma exigua N.Liu
Curcuma ferruginea Roxb.
Curcuma fimbriata Škorničk. & Soonthornk.
Curcuma flammea Škorničk.
Curcuma flaviflora S.Q.Tong
Curcuma glans K.Larsen & Mood
Curcuma glauca (Wall.) Škorničk.
Curcuma globulifera Škorničk. & Soonthornk.
Curcuma gracillima Gagnep.
Curcuma graminifolia (K.Larsen & Jenjitt.) Škorničk.
Curcuma grandiflora Wall. ex Baker
Curcuma gulinqingensis N.H.Xia & Juan Chen
Curcuma haritha Mangaly & M.Sabu
Curcuma harmandii Gagnep.
Curcuma heyneana Valeton & Zijp
Curcuma ignea Ruchis. & Jenjitt.
Curcuma inodora Blatt.
Curcuma involucrata (King ex Baker) Škorničk.
Curcuma karnatakensis Amalraj, Velay. & Mural.
Curcuma kayahensis Nob.Tanaka & M.M.Aung
Curcuma kudagensis Velay., V.S.Pillai & Amalraj
Curcuma kwangsiensis S.G.Lee & C.F.Liang
Curcuma lampangensis Saensouk, Maknoi & Rakarcha
Curcuma larsenii Maknoi & Jenjitt.
Curcuma latiflora Valeton
Curcuma latifolia Roscoe
Curcuma leonidii Škorničk. & Luu
Curcuma leucorrhiza Roxb.
Curcuma lindstromii Škorničk. & Soonthornk.
Curcuma lithophila Škorničk. & Soonthornk.
Curcuma loerzingii Valeton
Curcuma longa L.
Curcuma longispica Valeton
Curcuma macrochlamys (Baker) Škorničk.
Curcuma mangga Valeton & Zijp
Curcuma maxwellii Škorničk. & Suksathan
Curcuma meraukensis Valeton
Curcuma micrantha Škorničk. & Soonthornk.
Curcuma montana Roxb.
Curcuma mukhraniae R.Kr.Singh & Arti Garg
Curcuma mutabilis Škorničk., M.Sabu & Prasanthk.
Curcuma myanmarensis (W.J.Kress) Škorničk.
Curcuma nakhonphanomensis Boonma, Saensouk & P.Saensouk
Curcuma nankunshanensis N.Liu, X.B.Ye & Juan Chen
Curcuma neilgherrensis Wight
Curcuma nepalensis M.Sabu, Kasaju & S.Subedi
Curcuma newmanii Škorničk.
Curcuma oligantha Trimen
Curcuma ornata Wall. ex Baker
Curcuma pambrosima Škorničk. & N.S.Lý
Curcuma papilionacea Soonthornk., Ongsakul & Škorničk.
Curcuma parviflora Wall.
Curcuma parvula Gage
Curcuma pedicellata (Chaveer. & Mokkamul) Škorničk.
Curcuma peramoena Souvann. & Maknoi
Curcuma petiolata Roxb.
Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton
Curcuma phrayawan Boonma & Saensouk
Curcuma picta Roxb. ex Škorničk.
Curcuma pierreana Gagnep.
Curcuma pitukii Maknoi, Saensouk, Rakarcha & Thammar.
Curcuma plicata Wall. ex Baker
Curcuma prakasha S.Tripathi
Curcuma prasina Škorničk.
Curcuma pseudomontana J.Graham
Curcuma puangpeniae Boonma & Saensouk
Curcuma pulcherrima Boonma, Saensouk & P.Saensouk
Curcuma purpurascens Blume
Curcuma purpurata Boonma & Saensouk
Curcuma putii Maknoi & Jenjitt.
Curcuma pygmaea Škorničk. & Šída f.
Curcuma rangjued Saensouk & Boonma
Curcuma rangsimae Boonma & Saensouk
Curcuma reclinata Roxb.
Curcuma rhabdota Sirirugsa & M.F.Newman
Curcuma rhomba Mood & K.Larsen
Curcuma roscoeana Wall.
Curcuma rosea P.Saensouk, Saensouk & Boonma
Curcuma roxburghii M.A.Rahman & Yusuf
Curcuma rubescens Roxb.
Curcuma rubroaurantiaca Škorničk. & Soonthornk.
Curcuma rubrobracteata Škorničk., M.Sabu & Prasanthk.
Curcuma rufostriata Škorničk. & Soonthornk.
Curcuma ruiliensis N.H.Xia & Juan Chen
Curcuma sabhasrii Saensouk, Maknoi, Wongnak & Rakarcha
Curcuma sahuynhensis Škorničk. & N.S.Lý
Curcuma saraburiensis Boonma & Saensouk
Curcuma sattayasaiorum Chaveer. & Sudmoon
Curcuma scaposa (Nimmo) Škorničk. & M.Sabu
Curcuma sessilis Gage
Curcuma siamensis Saensouk & Boonma
Curcuma sichuanensis X.X.Chen
Curcuma singularis Gagnep.
Curcuma sixsensesensis D.D.Nguyen & T.A.Le
Curcuma sparganiifolia Gagnep.
Curcuma spathulata Škorničk. & Soonthornk.
Curcuma stahlianthoides Škorničk. & Soonthornk.
Curcuma stenochila Gagnep.
Curcuma stolonifera Nob.Tanaka, K.Armstr. & M.M.Aung
Curcuma strobilifera Wall. ex Baker
Curcuma sumatrana Miq.
Curcuma suphanensis P.Saensouk, Boonma, Rakarcha, Maknoi, Wongnak & Saensouk
Curcuma supraneeana (W.J.Kress & K.Larsen) Škorničk.
Curcuma suraponii Boonma
Curcuma sylvatica Valeton
Curcuma thorelii Gagnep.
Curcuma tongii Y.H.Tan & Li X.Zhang
Curcuma trichosantha Gagnep.
Curcuma tuanii H.T.Nguyen, D.D.Nguyen & N.A.Nguyen
Curcuma vamana M.Sabu & Mangaly
Curcuma vinhlinhensis D.D.Nguyen & T.A.Le
Curcuma viridiflora Roxb.
Curcuma vitellina Škorničk. & H.Ð.Tran
Curcuma wallichii M.A.Rahman & Yusuf
Curcuma wanenlueanga Saensouk, Thomudtha & Boonma
Curcuma wilcockii M.A.Rahman & Yusuf
Curcuma woodii N.H.Xia & Juan Chen
Curcuma xanthella Škorničk.
Curcuma yingdeensis N.H.Xia & Juan Chen
Curcuma yunnanensis N.Liu & S.J.Chen
Curcuma zanthorrhiza Roxb.
Curcuma zedoaria (Christm.) Roscoe
Curcuma zedoarioides Chaveer. & Tanee

References

"Curcuma L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
"curcuma". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
"Curcuma [family ZINGIBERACEAE]". Global Plants.
Sirirugsa, P.; Larsen, K.; Maknoi, C. (2007). "The Genus Curcuma L. (Zingiberaceae): Distribution and Classification with Reference to Species Diversity in Thailand" (PDF). Gardens' Bulletin Singapore. 59 (1&2): 203–220. S2CID 173169715. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
Collectif (2016). Histoire Naturelle (in French). Paris: Flammarion. p. 149. ISBN 9782081378599.
Somadeva (1924) [1079]. "The use of turmeric (kuṅkuma) in ancient India". Kathasaritsagara [The Ocean of Story]. Vol. XIII, ch. 104. Translated by Tawney, C. H. B.R. Publishing Corporation. p. 13. ISBN 9789350501351.