1073

 Curcuma coriacea Mangaly & M.Sabu

Family	:	Zingiberaceae
Flowering and fruiting period	:	April-October
Distribution	:	India
Endemic/Exotic	:	Endemic to Southern Western Ghats
Key botanical characters:   Rhizome 2-4 x 1-2 cm, white inside, non-aromatic. Leafy shoot 30 to 40 cm tall. Lamina 27-35 x 10-15 cm, elliptic, coriaceous, densely pubescent on both surfaces. Inflorescence lateral, later central, 5-10 cm long; Comma bracts deep pink to violet. Fertile bracts 5-6 x 2.5-3 cm, ovate-acute, slightly recurved, light green with light pink in the middle, extending towards the tip. Flowers 6 cm long, as long as or slightly longer than bract, yellow.