Zingiberaceae FAMILY

Kaempferia rotunda

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The juice of the rhizome has been reported to be poisonous. When administered internally in the treatment of throat problems it can produce profuse salivation and vomiting[ 360 Title Philippine Medicinal Plants Publication Author Website http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant. ].

Botanical Description

Kaempferia rotunda is a perennial, stemless plant producing a pseudostem with 2 - 4 erect leaves from an underground rhizome that has small tuberous roots. Flowering stems are produced from the rhizome when no leaves are present[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is often grown as an ornamental in the tropics.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeE. Asia - southern China, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia.

HabitatMonsoon forests and open grassland at elevations from around sea level to 2,600 metres[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. , 974 Title Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants - Identification and Cultivation of over 3,000 Tropical Plants Publication Author Ahmed Fayaz Publisher Firefly Books Ltd.; New Zealand Year 2011 ISBN 978-1-55407-489 Description A good photograph and terse but detailed information for over 3,000 species of tropical plants. An excellent reference. ].