China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan, Yunnan), the Indian subcontinent (including Assam, Nepal and Bangladesh), Indochina
Colors
Yellowish-white
Shapes
Subglobose, ovate or spindle-shape, about 1.15 cm long
Asian Crocus, Kaempferia rotunda, belongs to family Zingiberaceae which is cultivated for the tubers which is used for wounds, swellings and tumors. It is inherent to Indian subcontinent through Southeast Asia to Southern China. It is sophisticated in China, India, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. It is naturalized in Java, Costa Rica and Malaysia.
It is an aromatic herb with tuberous rhizome with gragrant subglobose yellow to white tuberous rhizome which is known as Chengazhineerkkizhangu in traditional medicine of Kerala. It is distributed throughout India from eastern Himalaya to Sri Lanka and the Malay Peninsula to Malay Island. Roots and rhizomes are used for abdominal pain, obesity, dysentery and diarrhea. Locally, it is applied to tumors, stirring.
Plant description
Kaempferia rotunda is a small rhizomatous and stemless herb that grows to the height of 65 cm with fleshy, shot and robust subterranean rhizomes which bears slender and cylindrical roots. Tubers are swollen, ovate or spindle shape, subglobose and yellowishwhite tubers about 1.15 cm long and 1.2.5 cm thick. Leaves are erect, distichous and about 7-25 cm long. Lamina is oblong lancolate to elliptical about 7–36 cm long by 4-7- 11 cm wide. Inflorescence forms on separate shoot from rhizome before leaves with 4 to 6 flowers, purple to brown bracts. Calyx splits on one side, about 4 to 7 cm with 3-toothed white or greenish apex and a corolla tube equal to calyx. Lobes are white, spreading, linear and about 5 cm. Lobes are down-curved about 3.5 × 2 cm. Ovary is hairy and about 4 to 6 mm.
