Journal of Threatened
Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 January 2024 | 16(1): 24607–24610
ISSN 0974-7907
(Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8637.16.1.24607-24610
#8637 | Received 18 July 2023 | Final received 02 November 2023 | Finally
accepted 11 December 2023
Additional record of the Black
Turmeric Curcuma caesia Roxb.
(Zingiberales: Zingiberaceae)
in Bhutan
Karma Orong
1, Namgay Shacha
2, Kezang Tobgay
3 & Rinchen Namgay
4
1,2,4 Ugyen Wangchuck
Institute of Forest Research and Training, Department of Forests & Park
Services, Royal Government of Bhutan.
3 National Biodiversity Center,
Royal Government of Bhutan.
1 karmagmt@gmail.com, 2 namgays@uwice.gov.bt
(corresponding author) 3 zangtobgyeel14@gmail.com, 4 rnamgay@uwice.gov.bt
Editor: M. Sabu, University of Calicut, Kerala,
India. Date of publication: 26 January
2024 (online & print)
Citation: Orong, K., N. Shacha, K. Tobgay & R. Namgay (2024). Additional
record of the Black Turmeric Curcuma caesia Roxb. (Zingiberales: Zingiberaceae) in Bhutan. Journal of Threatened Taxa 16(1): 24607–24610. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8637.16.1.24607-24610
Copyright: © Orong et al. 2024. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: None.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: We would like to thank the
management of Ugyen Wangchuck
Institute for Forest Research and Training, (UWIFoRT)
DoFPS, Royal Government of Bhutan for the continued
support and guidance. We also would like to thank Mr. Cheten
Dorji (CNR), Mr. Tashi Tobgay (CNR), and Mr. Ikaitkupar Lyngdoh (India) for their help in publishing this paper.
Curcuma L, is a genus of rhizomatous herbs
distributed in tropical and subtropical regions especially in India, Thailand,
Indochina, northern Australia, Malaysia, and Bangladesh (Jantan
et al. 1999). The genus contains more than 200 species and subspecies, which
belong to the family of Zingiberaceae. The majority
of Curcuma species grow in mountainous areas around the world (Singh et
al. 2002). Many species of Curcuma are cultivated and used as ingredient
of traditional medicine (Jantan et al. 1999). In
Bhutan, there are records of four species of Curcuma under Zingiberaceae family including C. caesia
(i.e., Curcuma longa L., Curcuma aromatica salisb, Curcuma zedoaria (Christm.) Roscoe). The plants were found thriving in warm
broadleaved forests near settlements against grazing and anthropogenic
activities.
Specimen of C. caesia was collected during field exploration from Orong Gewog under Samdrup Jongkhar district (26.933117° N, 91.493064° E), Bhutan on
10 July 2021 at an elevation of 1,227 m. The geo-coordinates were recorded with
Garmin GPS. Herbarium specimens was prepared following Smith (1971) and the
morphological characteristics were examined for confirmation of the identity of
specimen following Noltie (1994) and Mitra & Mukherjee (2013).
Taxonomy
Curcuma caesia Roxb.
in Asiat. Res. (Calcutta) 11: 335. 1810 – Lectotype “Curcuma
caesia” in Icones Roxburghianae Ineditae No. 1923
(Leong-Škorničková et al. 2010; Mitra
& Mukherjee 2013).
Type:
India, Calcutta 11: 335. 1810 W. Roxburgh (1923)
(Lectotype-BM, Photo!)
Description:
Curcuma caesia Roxb.
satnds erect as a rhizomatous herb, reaching a height
of 70–100 cm. Pseudo stem, approximately 30–35 cm tall, sheaths green. The
rhizome large, 5–6 × 9–10 cm, blue-blackish, verging towards grey, the blue colour is highly variable, depending upon the nature of the
soil and age of the rhizome, strongly aromatic; sessile tubers branched,
condensed; roots fleshy; root tubers many, ovate oblong, pale, watery pearl colour. Leaves distichous, 79–100 cm; petiole as long as
lamina; lamina 30–40 × 10–15 cm, oblong lanceolate, tip acute, base acuminate,
glabrous, purple or reddish-brown patch along the sides on the distal half of
the mid rib on upper side only, fading at maturity, groove of the midrib green.
Inflorescence lateral, 25–30 cm long, peduncle 12–18 cm; spike 12–15 × 5 cm; coma
bracts large, pink to violet, lower ones streaked green. Fertile bracts 18–20,
6.5–7 × 4.4–5 cm, lower half fused, tip rounded, green with pink tip, each
bract subtends a cincinnus of 8–10 flowers.
Bracteoles large, 2.5–3.5 cm, white with medium light green patch. Flowers 4–6
cm equal to slightly shorter than bracts. Calyx 0.8–1 cm, truncate, 3-lobed at
apex, split on one side. Corolla tube 3–3.3 cm long, lobes unequal; dorsal
lobes 1.5 × 1.2 cm, concave, hooded; lateral lobes 1.5 × 1 cm, tip rounded, pink.
Labellum 1.5–1.7 × 1.8 cm, tip emarginated, yellow with deep yellow median
band. Lateral staminodes 1.5 × 1 cm, yellow. Anther 7 mm long, without crest,
spurred at base, spurs 3 mm long, divergent. Epigynous
gland two, 5 cm long, linear, yellowish green. Ovary 5 mm, trilocular,
with many ovules. Style long, filiform; stigma bilipped,
slightly exserted above the anther lobes (Leong-Škorničkováet al. 2010).
Distribution:
The geographic distribution of the species ranges from northeastern India to
Thailand, Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, and northern Australia (Apavatjrut et al. 1999).
Specimen
examined: Bhutan: 17161 (THIM), Orong, Samdrup Jongkhar District,
(26.933117° N, 91.493064° E; 1,227 m), 10.vii.2021, K. Orong
& N. Shacha, 2023. 011 (Lectotype BM, Photo!).
Flowering:
Flowers appear during the initiation of the monsoon and fruits mature at the
end of the monsoon (May–July).
Habitat: C.
caesia was found in warm broadleaved forest
(dominated by species like Castanopsis indica Robx. Ex. Lindl, C. hystrix DC, Callicarpa
arborea Roxb. & Schima wallichii (DC.)
Korth growing near settlement at Orong
Gewog under Samdrup Jongkhar
District, Bhutan at an elevation of 1,227 m. Other associative species growing
along with C. Caesia were Phlogacanthus
pubinervius T. Anderson, Artemisia spp., Biden
pilosa L., Chromolaena
odorata (L.) R.M.King & H.Rob. and Ageratina adenophora
(Spreng.) R.M.King
& H.Rob.
Conservation
Status: The species is widely cultivated because of its medicinal values and
economic benefit (Apavatjrut et al. 1999). In the
current exploration, the species was surviving near settlement with threats
from grazing and developmental activities. It is imperative that the relevant
authorities (e.g., Department of Forest and Park Services) and other conservation
agencies take the necessary management strategies to conserve the species.
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figure & image - - click here for full PDF
References
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