Morphological information

Rootstock of palmately branched sessile cylindric oblong annulated tubers, pale yellow inside, with a comphoraceous odour and bitterish spicy taste also bearing long fleshy fibers that terminate in smaller oblong less fragrant tubers. Leaves 4-5 with long petioles, 30- 60 cm long, oblong lanceolate, finely acuminate, glabrous on both surfaces, clouded with purple down the middle. Flowering stem 20- 25 cm long, appearing before the leaves, start, clothed with obtuse sheaths. Flowers yellow in spikes 7.5- 12.5 by 5-7.5 cm; flowering bracts 3.8 cm long, ovate, recurved, cymbiform, green tinged with red; bracts of the coma reaching 5cm long, crimson or purple. Calyx 8mm long obtusely 3- toothed. Corolla- tube twice as long as the calyx, funnel- shaped; lateral lobes oblong, the dossal lobe larger, vaulted, arching over the anther. Lip 13 mm broad sub-orbicular, deflexed, obscurely 3- lobed, and deep yellow. Capsule ovoid, 3- gonous, thin, smooth bursting irregularly. Seeds ellipsoid with a white lacerate aril.

Flowering                                         : April-July.

Fruiting                                            : April -July

History                                            :

Parts                                               : Rhizome.

Status                                             : Extinct in wild.

Phytochemistry

Stereostructure of furanogermenone (Heterocycles 1982, 17, 215); synthesis of curzerenone, epiicurzerenone and isocurzerenone (J.Org. Chem. 1984, 49. 3728).

 

Ayurvedic

In Ayurveda, it is an ingredient of "Bratiaayadi Kwattha", used in high fever. It is not much used in Unani system. Useful in leucoderma, piles, bronchitis, asthma, tumors, tuberculosis glands of the neck, enlargement of the spleen, epileptic seizure.

 

Traditional: The rhizome is taken during stomachache.

 

 

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