Kunci pepet (Kaempferia rotunda)

Kunci pepet or temu rapet (Kaempferia rotunda) is a plant species in Zingiberaceae, a shrub that grows upright, the vegetative phase is leaf growth and the generative phase is flower growth, the leaves have symmetrical patterns, are often planted for beautiful leaves and traditional medicinal materials.

K. rotunda has 2-5 leaves, oblong lanceolate shape, 7-36 cm long and 4-11 cm wide. Top surface bare, green and whitish in symmetrical patterns. The lower surface is hairy and purplish in color. Frond length is 7-24 cm.

Inflorescences emerge from another bud on the rhizome with 4-6 buds. The petals are white or greenish and 3-7 cm long. The crown is tubular at the base with a line, white, curved outward and 5 cm wide. Labellum inverted heart-shaped, 4-7 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, purple-lilac with yellowish.

The rhizome is short, branched, smells good and has a bitter taste. The roots are fragrant and egg-shaped. The rhizome produces coarse, watery roots that appear to grow in clusters. The flower grows indicating that the rhizome is ready to be harvested.

Kunci pepet grows wild in wet and dry forests, teak forests, bamboo forests and meadows and elevations up to 1300 m. Young tubers can be eaten as a salad, powder and appetite enhancer. Rhizome is used as a medicine for stomach pain and dysentery.

Plants are also used for the manufacture of fragrances, cosmetics and insect repellents. The rhizome and tubers are distilled to produce essential oils containing cineol. Beautiful leaves are also often used for ornamental plants in pots.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Kaempferia
Species: Kaempferia rotunda

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Murbei or Korean mulberry ( Morus indica ) is a species of plant in Moraceae, shrub or small tree, up to 10 meters tall, slow growing, cylindrical stem, light brown with white nodules, M. indica has heart-shaped or oval-shaped leaves and sometimes three-lobed, 4-12.5 cm long, 2.5-7.5 cm wide, pointed tip, serrated margin, green and has a stalk. Monoecious inflorescences with male and female grow on the same tree, though often on different branches. Male flowers have a size of 9-11.5 mm and are covered with fine hairs. The female flowers are subglubose or only round in shape, measuring 6-9.5 mm. Stigma is 3.5 mm long with short, thick hair. The female flowers form compound fruit and are fleshy, green and white-haired to white, red and black when ripe. Korean mulberry is used in regulating blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Rosales Family: Moraceae Genus: Morus Species: Morus indica

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