1050
|
Synonym |
: |
Languas calcarata (Roscoe) Alston |
|
Family |
` |
Zingiberaceae |
|
Local name |
: |
Khasi:
Gonth – Tara. Eng.: Cardamon Ginger, Snap Ginger. Chinese:
Ju hua shan jiang. Malayalam: Chittaratha. Sanskrit: Rasna. |
|
Flowering and fruiting period |
: |
May – December |
|
Distribution |
: |
This
species is native of India and also present in Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia,
New Guinea and Bismark Archipelago. It is cultivated in Sri Lanka, Malay
Peninsula and China. In India, it is reported from Maharashtra, Meghalaya,
Mizoram, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Kerala and Karnataka. |
|
Uses |
: |
Rhizome
shows sharp odour and taste. It helps to cure fever, rheumatism and catarrhal
affections and helps to improve voice. Rhizome has also important role as
ingradients in several Ayurvedic preparations such as Rasnadi kashayam, Rasnadi
churnum, Rasnadi thailum and Aswagandharishtam. |
|
Key botanical characters: Rhizome
0.9-1.2 cm thick, strongly aromatic. Leafy shoots 127-129 cm high,
slanting. Leaves 17 or 18 in number,
4.5-13.9 cm apart; petiole short, 0.3-0.7 cm long, dark green, glabrous on
both sides, margin ciliate; ligule single lobed, ovate, light green; lamina
11-38 x 2-3.6 cm, elliptic, dark green above, pale green below, aromatic.
Inflorescence 8.5-11 cm long, erect, terminal. Bract minute, triangular,
brown, scale-like, pubescent, cincinnus 4-flowered. Flower 3.2-4.2 cm long,
white, brown stripes towards mouth, drooping, 2 or 3 opens at a time;
Labellum, obovate, yellow at periphery, dark brown stripes radiating from
centre, glabrous, tip crumbled, margin non-ciliate, entire. Capsule 2-2.5 x
c. 1.5 cm, globose, pubescent, orange-red. Seeds many. |
||
