182 PHIUPPINE RESINS, GUMS, AND OILS 



oil are soluble in 90 per cent alcohol and should yield no dis- 

 tillate below 170 ^ 



Aco7'us calamus has stout, branched, aromatic rhizomes. The 

 leaves are flat, smooth, 25 to 60 centimeters long, and 1 to 1.5 

 centimeters wide. The spathe is green, much elongated, and 

 similar in shape to the leaves. The spadix is 3 to 5 centimeters 

 long, 1 centimeter or less in diameter, and bears many flowers. 



This species occurs throughout the Philippines as a cultivated 

 plant. In the Mountain Province, Luzon, at and above an al- 

 titude of 1,400 meters, it is sometimes found growing wild in 

 swamps in great abundance. However, this plant has appar- 

 ently been introduced into the Philippines. 



Family ZINGIBERACEAE 



Genus CURCUMA 

 CURCUMA LONG A L. DiLAU OR TURMERIC. 



Local names: Ange (Pampanga) ; azafrdn (Spanish in Zamboanga) ; 

 bardk (Cuyo Islands) ; ddlau (Iloko in Cagayan) ; dildu (Bataan, Rizal, 

 Manila, Laguna, Batangas, Tayabas) ; dilaii-jmld (Laguna) ; duldu (Leyte, 

 Capiz, Iloilo, Cuyo Islands) ; kalaudg (Camarines, Albay, Zambales) ; ku- 

 Idlau (Pangasinan) ; kunig (Ilocos Sur, Cagayan) ; luyang-dildu (Ba- 

 tangas). 



DILAU OIL 



The rhizomes of Curcwma longa are used extensively in the 

 Philippines as a condiment and for food coloration and also as 

 an ingredient of curry. 



Bacon * found that when 123 kilos of roots were distilled, 290 



grams of a brown-colored oil were obtained. The constants of 



30 

 this oil were as follows: Specific gravity, — =^0.930; refractive 



oO 



index N-py— 1.5030; optical rotation, Ay^=8°.6; ester number, 



81 ; miscible with 75 per cent alcohol. 



Turmeric (curcumin) is the yellow coloring matter (dye) 

 obtained from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa. 



It is not exported from the Philippines at the present time. 

 The value of the importations into the United States in 1907 

 was 26,252 dollars, the greater part being from Burma. 



Curcuma longa resembles Curcuma zedoaria, but its flowering 

 shoot is borne within the tuft of leaves and not directly from 

 the rootstock as is that of Curcuma zedoaria. It has 5 or 6 thin, 

 smooth, pale-green, pointed leaves, which are about 45 centi- 



* Bacon, R. F., Philippine terpenes and essential oils, IV. Philippine 

 Journal of Science, Section A, Volume 5 (1910), page 262. 



