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Curcuma longa

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Zingiberales Family: Zingiberaceae Genus: Curcuma

‘ōlena, olena, turmeric

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect, deciduous, acaulescent herbs with leaf tufts 0.5–1.5 m tall.

Stems: Rhizomatous, primary rhizomes usually solitary, erect, ovoid, up to 4 cm wide, internally dark yellow to orange with a paler outer area, producing thick, internally orange or dark yellow roots, secondary rhizomes abundant, usually produced in 1 plane, cylindrical, distichous, 5–10 cm long, 2–3 cm wide, with shorter lateral rhizomes.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, basal. Blades lanceolate, oblong, or elliptic, 5–8, 30–50 cm long, 8–18 cm wide. Apex short acuminate. Base attenuate. Surfaces glabrous. Margins entire. Lateral veins parallel, diverging from prominent midrib. Petiolate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences erect, synchronous with the leaves and emerging from the center of the leaf tuft, cylindrical, 10–20 cm long, 5–8 cm wide, fertile bracts green, ovate, 5–6 cm long, connate less than 1⁄2 their length, sterile bracts white and green to pink, bracteoles white with pink or green apex, 3–3.5 cm long. Flowers slightly fragrant, bisexual (perfect), zygomorphic, pedicellate, floral tube funnelform, the lobes ovate to oblong. Calyx 3-lobed, the lobes unequal; 9–13 mm long. Corolla adnate with the stamens into a floral tube, distally 3-lobed, corolla pink to yellowish or greenish, the tube 17–24 mm long, the lobes 10–15 mm long. Stamens 5, in 2 whorls, only the posterior one of the inner whorl fertile, the other 2 members of inner whorl connate to form a highly variable, often conspicuous labellum; labellum whitish with a yellow median band, broadly obovate, 15–19 mm long and wide; lateral staminodes narrowly obovate or elliptic, t0–16 mm long; stamen ca. 6 mm long. Ovary inferior, with 2 variously developed apical nectary glands, 3-celled, sometimes incompletely so, rarely 1-celled, placentation axile, parietal (or essentially basal), or rarely free-central; ovules usually numerous; style filiform, often enveloped in a groove of the fertile stamen and embraced by the thecae; stigma various, often papillose and protruding beyond anther.

Fruit: Capsules globose or ellipsoid; irregularly dehiscent. Seeds ovoid; brown.

Ploidy: 2n = 32; 62–64

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

  • In the treatment of nasal ailments (ihu pilau, etc.) the rhizomes mixed with the rhizomes, flowers, and flowering heads of the ‘awapuhi (Zingiber zerumbet), and kōkea (white sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum), and mature niu water (coconut, Cocos nucifera); the liquid placed on hāpu‘u pulu (Cibotium spp.) and kapa and inhaled. A gargle is also made of ‘ōhi‘a ‘ai bark, kukui bark and flowers (Aleurites moluccana), and moa holokula; the mixture is strained through ‘ahu‘awa (Cyperus javanicus) (Chun 1994:231–232). A variant for i‘aku and ihu pilau maopopo is a medicine taken internally, made from the rhizomes mixed with the rhizomes, flowers, and flowering heads of the ‘awapuhi, kōkea, noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia), and one niu.These ingedients are mashed, strained, and ingested. Foods to accompany the treatment include fish, lu‘au, and ‘inamona. To purify the blood, ‘ōolena rhizomes are blended with leaf buds, tap roots, and leaves of the pawale (Rumex spp.), the bark of ‘ōhi‘a ‘ai and koa (Syzygium malaccense and Acacia koa), and kōkea; the resulting mash is strained and ingested (Chin 1994:232–233). The sap is used as a mild astrigent, and as a cure for earaches (Abbott 1992:101).

  • Rhizomes were a favorite a source of yellow dye for kapa (Krauss 1993:66).

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 2 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1620 (Mo, M, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:758, 762 (KEY), 763 (DESCR); Wood 2012:100 (K)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Curcuma longa L. oahu, at the nuuanu pali;;;; PRESERVED_SPECIMEN heller, a. 2367 DUKE 1895-10-29
2 Curcuma longa L. cultivated by m. emrick, honua farm, kikala rd., kalaheo PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hume, l. staples iii, g.w. collector number: 412 Kauai BISH 8/19/1989
3 Curcuma longa L. koloa dist.; kalaheo, farm of roger peckenpaugh, kauai tropicals PRESERVED_SPECIMEN flynn, t. collector number: 5633 Kauai BISH 10/13/1994
4 Curcuma longa L. Mapulehu Valley PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Forbes, C.N. 300 MO Molokai BISH 7/14/1984
5 Curcuma longa L. Wailau Valley. Old Taro Patch in Malama PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Higashino, P.K. 10376 Molokai BISH 7/14/1984
6 Curcuma longa L. Kona, Kealakekua, Wall Hotel Garden PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Fosberg, F.R. 10163 Hawaii BISH 2/9/1940
7 Curcuma longa L. Koloa Dist.; Kalaheo, farm of Roger Peckenpaugh, Kauai Tropicals PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Flynn, T. 5633 Kauai BISH 10/13/1994
8 Curcuma longa L. mapulehu valley Rock pools in wave surge zone PRESERVED_SPECIMEN forbes, c.n. collector number: 300 mo Hawaii BISH 7/14/1984
9 Curcuma longa L. koloa district, kalaheo. yard of house at 3581 kaloke st PRESERVED_SPECIMEN lorence, d.h. collector number: 6376 Kauai BISH 8/28/1989
10 Curcuma longa L. kona, kealakekua, wall hotel garden PRESERVED_SPECIMEN fosberg, f.r. collector number: 10163 Hawaii BISH 2/9/1940
11 Curcuma longa L. kau district, waiohinu, garden of wm. apo young PRESERVED_SPECIMEN meinecke, w.h. collector number: b Hawaii BISH 9/26/1961
12 Curcuma longa L. Hawaii PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Meinecke, W.H. s.n. Hawaii BISH 12/16/1959
13 Curcuma longa L. wailau valley. old taro patch in malama PRESERVED_SPECIMEN higashino, p.k. allen, m.s. collector number: 10376 Molokai BISH 7/14/1984
14 Curcuma longa L. Kau District, Waiohinu, garden of Wm. Apo Young PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Meinecke, W.H. B Hawaii BISH 9/26/1961
15 Curcuma longa L. manuka state park PRESERVED_SPECIMEN w. meinecke s.n. Kauai US 3/26/1963
16 Curcuma longa L. Kalaheo, yard of house at 3581 Kaloke Street. Cultivated. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN David H. Lorence 6376 Kauai PTBG 12/28/2013
17 Curcuma longa L. Honolulu, Manoa Valley, Harold L. Lyon Arboretum. In herb garden. Cultivated. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN George Staples 739 Oahu PTBG 5/21/1991
18 Curcuma longa L. Cultivated by M. Emrick, Honua Farm, Kikala Rd., Kalaheo. Cultivated PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Lynwood Hume 412 Kauai PTBG 12/19/1989
19 Curcuma longa L. heeia, oahu, territory of hawaii PRESERVED_SPECIMEN o. degener 12294 NY 8/7/1938
20 Curcuma longa L. nuuanu valley, oahu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN b. sharp s.n. NY 1893-08-07
21 Curcuma longa L. Kalaheo. Cultivated plants from the farm of Roger Peckenpaugh, Kauai Tropicals. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Tim Flynn 5633 Kauai PTBG 10/13/1994
22 Curcuma longa L. Waiohinu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Meinecke, W.H. s.n. Hawaii BISH 9/6/1977
23 Curcuma longa L. kau, kiolakaa-keaa homesteads, near turn-off to kalae (south pt.) from present belt rd. in wm. apo's coffee field PRESERVED_SPECIMEN meinecke, w.h. collector number: a Molokai BISH 8/28/1957
24 Curcuma longa L. waiohinu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN meinecke, w.h. collector number: s.n. Hawaii BISH 9/6/1977
25 Curcuma longa L. hawaii PRESERVED_SPECIMEN meinecke, w.h. collector number: s.n. Kauai US 12/16/1959
26 Curcuma longa L. Manuka state park PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Meinecke, W. H. s.n. Maui US 3/26/1963
27 Curcuma longa L. Cultivated by M. Emrick, Honua Farm, Kikala Rd., Kalaheo PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hume, L. 412 Kauai BISH 8/19/1989
28 Curcuma longa L. Kau, Kiolakaa-Keaa Homesteads, near turn-off to Kalae (South Pt.) from present Belt Rd. in Wm. Apo's Coffee Field PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Meinecke, W.H. A Hawaii BISH 8/28/1957
29 Curcuma longa L. Koloa District, Kalaheo. Yard of house at 3581 Kaloke St PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Lorence, D.H. 6376 Kauai BISH 8/28/1989
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