Curcuma caulina
Curcuma caulina
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of moist to wet areas in the hot tropics, growing best in monsoonal areas where the mean annual rainfall can be more than 5,000mm[1]. Requires moist conditions, often being grown along the banks of irrigation canals[1]. Plants in this genus generaly prefer a humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in partial shade[2]. For maximum yields of starch a 2 year rotation should be practiced with the tubers being harvested when they are 20-24 months old[1].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe. Germinates best at temperatures around 20°c[3]. Cuttings of the rhizomes[1]. Traditionally, these are planted in raked soil at the beginning of the monsoon, frequently in arecanut plantations and on the banks of rivers and irrigation channels[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Curcuma+caulina>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Root Crops — Kay. D.E. Revised by Gooding. E.G.B. · Tropical Development and Crop Research: London. · 1987 ↩︎Detailed information on about 40 species of tropical root crops.
- [2]Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants - Identification and Cultivation of over 3,000 Tropical Plants — Ahmed Fayaz · Firefly Books Ltd.; New Zealand · 2011 · ISBN 978-1-55407-489 ↩︎A good photograph and terse but detailed information for over 3,000 species of tropical plants. An excellent reference.
- [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.