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Genus

Curcuma

Called “Hidden-Lily” in GBIF

Curcuma is a genus of plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae that contains such species as turmeric and Siam tulip. They are native to Southeast Asia, southern China, the Indian Subcontinent, New Guinea and northern Australia. Some species are reportedly naturalized in other warm parts of the world such as tropical Africa, Central America, Florida, and various islands of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Generally, most curcuma grows well in loose and sandy soil in shaded areas.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

172
accepted species in GBIF
Source: GBIF
4
plants on Plant News
24
research articles
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Plants in this genus

4 plants

Research on Curcuma

24 articles
Europe PMC → · research article

Turmeric's global medicinal history spans continents and centuries

If you grow turmeric in a pot on your windowsill or buy the powder at the store, this review expl...

PubMed → · research article

Bacteria living inside turmeric plants fight off deadly wilt disease

If you grow turmeric or ginger and have watched a plant wilt and die seemingly overnight, the cul...

Turmeric's active compound doesn't undo pesticide damage in lab cells

The turmeric root sitting in your spice rack is being studied as a shield against pesticide expos...

What science is finding about Curcuma

Every article on Plant News that mentions a member of this genus, newest first.

Latest finding

Turmeric's global medicinal history spans continents and centuries

Researchers traced turmeric's use across African, Ayurvedic, Chinese, Persian, and Western herbal traditions, showing it has treated jaundice and digestive, circulatory, and respiratory issues for centuries. The review also flags common ways turmeric products get adulterated and how to spot authentic rhizome material.

Plant compounds fight colon cancer by hitting many targets at once

The turmeric in your spice rack and the quercetin-rich onions in your garden contain compounds that scientists are now...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Plant compounds show promise against brain-clogging protein clumps

The turmeric in your spice rack and the green tea in your cupboard contain molecules that researchers are studying for their...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Turmeric and grape compounds may guard aging brain cells

The turmeric in your spice rack, the grapes on your patio vine, and the ginseng root some gardeners grow all contain compounds...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Bacteria living inside turmeric plants fight off deadly wilt disease

If you grow turmeric or ginger and have watched a plant wilt and die seemingly overnight, the culprit is often this same...

Turmeric soil-health / crop-improvement

Kitchen rhizome mango ginger shields liver and kidneys in mice

The knobby, mango-scented rhizome sold in Asian grocery pickle aisles as mango ginger isn't just a curry ingredient, it's...

Mango Ginger medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Common plant compounds hit multiple disease pathways at once

The turmeric in your spice rack and the green tea in your cupboard contain compounds that scientists are mapping as...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / plant-signaling

Ginger and turmeric compounds show promise against aggressive breast cancer

The ginger root and turmeric in your kitchen spice rack contain compounds now shown to bind effectively to a protein driving...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Turmeric's active compound doesn't undo pesticide damage in lab cells

The turmeric root sitting in your spice rack is being studied as a shield against pesticide exposure, and this study is a...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / ethnobotany
eco

Turmeric relative's compound may slow colon cancer development

The turmeric growing in your herb garden has a lesser-known cousin, Curcuma comosa, whose rhizome compounds are showing the...

Curcuma comosa medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Nanoparticles could unlock cancer-fighting power of everyday plant compounds

The turmeric in your spice rack, the green tea in your cup, and the grapes on your counter all contain molecules that...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Grape and turmeric compounds team up to heal gut lining

The same plant chemistry that makes red grape skins and turmeric root prized in herbal medicine cabinets is now shown to...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Rarest ginger flower color isn't the reproductive winner, common one is

If you've ever assumed the showiest flower in your garden must be the most successful at reproducing, this ginger relative...

Curcuma caulina pollinators / plant-signaling

Fifteen herbs from turmeric to lion's mane protect the aging brain

The saffron crocuses you plant in fall, the turmeric on a sunny windowsill, and the lemon balm spreading in your herb bed all...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Six culinary plant compounds offer a resistance-proof defense against feed mold

The thyme, cinnamon, and turmeric you grow or cook with produce the same compounds researchers now rank highest for replacing...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / antifungal-resistance

Turmeric mitochondria fed to mice reach the brain and reverse aging cognitive decline

Turmeric growing in your garden or sitting in your spice cabinet carries living cellular machinery that, in mice, crossed from...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / mitochondrial-transfer

Garden plants like garlic and onion can balance skin's bacterial community

Garlic and onion growing in your garden contain compounds that, applied to skin, could clear acne-causing bacteria while...

Mango Ginger medicinal-plants / skin-microbiome

Diversity and Ethnobotany of the Family Zingiberaceae in Lop Buri Province, Thailand, with Notes on a Putative Natural Hybrid.

Turmeric, galangal, cardamom, and ginger all belong to the same plant family — and this study reveals that a single Thai...

Turmeric ethnobotany / medicinal-plants

Synthesis of L-arginine functionalized curcuminoid impregnated on bovine collagen-montmorillonite 3D scaffold for wound healing.

Turmeric's healing reputation, long trusted in kitchen medicine cabinets, is now being engineered at the molecular level to...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Liver Disease and Plant-Derived Phytoconstituents: From Ethnopharmacology to Modern Medicine.

Milk thistle growing at the edge of your garden has been quietly producing one of the most clinically studied liver-protective...

Turmeric medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Medicinal Plants and the Gastrointestinal Microbiota in Chronic Diseases Modulation: A Structured Mechanistic and Translational Review.

The turmeric you add to cooking, the green tea you brew, and herbal supplements like ginseng are doing something measurable...

Turmeric gut-microbiome / phytochemicals

Exploring Agrivoltaics: A Pathway to Climate-Resilient and Productive Land Use in Northern Bangladesh.

Ginger and turmeric from your spice rack could soon be grown under solar panels, meaning the food you cook with and the clean...

Turmeric agrivoltaics / climate-adaptation

Neuroprotective role of Curcuma amada evidenced from pesticide-induced stressed Drosophila melanogaster: insights from RNAseq and gut microbiome analyses.

Pesticides used in your garden or on nearby farms don't just kill pests — they accumulate in the food chain and can quietly...

Mango Ginger neuroprotection / plant-medicine

Microplastic-associated pollutants in prostate carcinogenesis and plant-based chemo-preventive strategies.

Microplastics shed from plastic mulch, irrigation tubing, and synthetic garden materials enter your soil and food, potentially...

Turmeric microplastics / phytoremediation