Curcuma prakasha

Curcuma prakasha
Curcuma prakasha
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Curcuma
Species: C. prakasha
Binomial name
Curcuma prakasha
S.Tripathi[1][2]

Curcuma prakasha is a species in the ginger family of plants, somewhat new to science. It was collected from open grassland (alt. c. 400m.) in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya State in India (its only known location) by its binomial author, Sunil Tripathi. He named it in Honor of Dr. Visvesvaraiah Prakash, an economic botanist, ethnobotanist and taxonomist. C. prakasha is ant-pollinated, and flowers and bears its fruit both in May. The rhizomes of C. prakasha are used locally to treat bruises and swollen throats.[2] It is closely related to C. neilgherrensis Wight.[2]

References

  1. ^  Species account was published first in Nordic Journal of Botany Copenhagen 21(5): 549. 2002 "Plant Name Details for Curcuma prakasha". IPNI. http://www.ipni.org:80/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=20006498-1. Retrieved May 12, 2011. "Distribution: Assam (Meghalaya); Collector: Sunil Tripathi" 
  2. ^ a b c Dr. S. Tripathi, Ethnobotany Division, National Botanical Research Institute, India (2002). "Curcuma prakasha sp. nov. (Zingiberaceae) from North-eastem India". Nordic Journal of Botany (corrected version) (Copenhagen) 21 (5): 549–550. doi:10.1111/j.1756-1051.2002.tb01624.x. ISSN 0107-055X.