AMOMALS, 48 
GINGERWORTS. 
Curcuma. Linneeus. 
Stems annual. Lateral inner lobes of 
corolla similar to the exterior. 
Filament petaloid, 3-lobed, with a 
two-spurred anther on the middle 
lobe. 
1. C. longa Linneus. — (TurMERic.) 
Fig. 82. 
Tubers long, lobed, pendulous, deep 
orange; leaves broad, lanceolate, 
whole coloured ; spikes central, 
among the leaves, pale green, with 
a rose-coloured coma; flowers yellow, 
concealed by the bracts. 
Habitat. East Indies. 
Quality. A mild aromatic, 
Uses. A condiment; an ingredient in curry 
powder ; its juice a test for free alkalies. 
In the East Indies Turmeric is regarded as an 
important bitter, aromatic, stimulant, 
tonic ; and is employed in debilitated 
states of the stomach, intermittent fever, 
dropsy. The native practitioners consider 
it, in the form of powder,as an excellent 
application for cleansing foul ulcers. It is 
also used in dyeing, There seems little 
doubt that it was the xumeipos wdiuKos of 
Dioscorides, as it certainly was the Carcu- 
maa of Avicenna ; the Persians now call it 
Kurkoom. The starch of the young white 
tubers forms one of the East Indian arrow- 
roots.— Royle. Seealso the pendulous tubers 
of several other species of Curcuma yield 
beautiful pure amylaceous matter, which 
the natives of the countries where the 
or grow prepare and eat like Arrow-root. 
Travancore this flour or starch forms a 
large part of the diet of the inhabitants. 
It is, however, to be observed, that the 
same tubers which yield starch when 
young, yield turmeric when old; the 
colour and aroma 
which give its cha- 
racter to the latter, 
appearing to be de- 
posited in the cells at 
 @ Iater period of 
Fig. 82.— Diminished figure of Curcama longa; the small oblong colourless knobs are those in 
starch alone exists ; the larger and darker 
