Kaempferia galanga L.

 ZINGIBERACEAE

 

Vernacular names:

 

Hindi         - Chandramula

Kannada    - Kacora

Malayalam  - Kaccuri, Kacholam

Marathi      - Kapurkachri

Sanskrit     - Chandra mulika, Karcurah, 8athi

Tamil         - Kacholam

Telugu       - Candramula

 

Threat status: Not Evaluated

 

Habit: Perennial herb

 

Habitat: Low altitude grasslands

 

Altitude: Up to 700 m

 

Distribution: Global: Indo-Malaya. National: Cultivated throughout India. Regional: Its occurrence in the wild in southern India is considered doubtful. Cultivated as an inter crop in coconut gardens in Kerala. Occasionally cultivated in gardens, parks and home yards as an ornamental plant.

 

Description: A perennial, handsome, hairless, aromatic, stemless herb with tuberous rhizomatous rootstock. Rhizomes many, vertical, compactly arranged, more or less egg-shaped, around 4 cm across, dull yellow outside, fleshy and white inside, very fragrant, producing white fleshy roots. Leaves usually 2 or more, spreading flat on the ground, egg-shaped-round, 6-12 x 5-11 cm, base sheathing, apex acute to round, margin entire and wavy, thin, deep green, hairless; leaf nerves many, parallel; leaf stalks very short, with many vertical lines. Flowers bisexual, clustered in the leaf axils, white with purplish spots, about 6 cm long, highly fragrant. The lip of the flower looks like an inverted egg-shape and deeply 2-lobed. Capsules oblong, dehiscing by 3 valves. Seeds with fleshy covering called 'aril'.

 

Phenology: Flowering: April to June; Fruiting: June onwards

 

Medicinal uses: The powdered rhizome is given for cough and pectoral affection.

 

Trade information: Local, regional and global. The plant drug 'Khulangan' exported in large quantities perhaps includes rhizomes of this species. The rhizomes are also used as a substitute for Hedychium spicatum, in southern I ndia, under the trade name Kapur kachari, priced at Rs.90 to 160/Kg. (Market Studies, 1999-2000).

 

Mode of propagation: By rhizomes

 

Special characters: A very fragrant herb. Stems absent. Leaves few lying flat on the ground. Flowers white, fragrant with a purple spot on each side of the lip.