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Temu kunci (Boesenbergia rotunda)

Dlium Temu kunci (Boesenbergia rotunda)

Temukunci or fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda) is a species in the Zingiberaceae, grows upright up to 80 cm, vertical roots, spices and rhizomes are used as seasonings in cooking, grows in rain forests, slopes, agricultural land and wastelands up to elevation 1000 meters.

B. rotunda has a strong rhizome, bright yellow, elongated ovoid and very flavorful. Each individual has 3-4 leaves, the midrib is red, the ligula has 2 indentations and is 5 mm long.





The petioles are 20 cm long and form a linear canal. Leaves green on both surfaces, elliptical pointed tip, 25-50 cm long and 7-17 cm wide. Terminal compound flowers on pseudo stems, emerging from the midrib, 3-7 cm long and fragrant. Tapered sheath with a size of 4-5 cm. Petals 1.5–2 cm and ends split. Crown forms a tube, 4.5-5.5 cm long, lobes 1.5-2 cm long.

Lateral staminodia are pale pink and 1.5 cm long. The labellum is white or bright red with purple stripes, 2–3.5 cm long and concave. Short stamen, 2 branches and 1-3 mm.

Temu Kunci grows wild in the tropics with lowlands and in dense teak forests up to 1000 meters elevation. Flowering January-February and April-June. Grows well in hot and humid climates on fertile soil, good air and water.

This species is used as a spice in the kitchen and traditional medicine which is useful as a sputum laxative or cough suppressant, farting, appetite enhancer, curing canker sores and booster breast milk.

Rhizome essential oil has an effect on the growth of Entamoeba coli, Staphylococus aureus and Candida albicans. In vitro calcium kidney stone dissolving. This plant works as an antibacterial, antiparasitic, treats oral infections, intestinal infections, antioxidants, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and helps obese patients.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Subfamily: Zingiberoideae
Tribe: Zingibereae
Genus: Boesenbergia Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 685 (1891)
Species: Boesenbergia rotunda (L.) Mansf. in Kulturpflanze 6: 239 (1958)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Curcuma rotunda L. in Sp. Pl.: 2 (1753)
Gastrochilus rotundus (L.) Alston in H.Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon 6(Suppl.): 281 (1931)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Boesenbergia baimaii Saensouk & K.Larsen in Nordic J. Bot. 21: 595 (2001 publ. 2002)
Boesenbergia cochinchinensis (Gagnep.) Loes. in H.G.A.Engler, Nat. Pflanzenfam., ed. 2. 15a: 571 (1930)
Boesenbergia isanensis Saensouk & P.Saensouk in J. Jap. Bot. 95: 65 (2020)
Boesenbergia pandurata (Roxb.) Schltr. in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 12: 316 (1913)
Gastrochilus panduratus (Roxb.) Ridl. in J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 32: 114 (1899)
Kaempferia cochinchinensis Gagnep. in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 54: 165 (1907)
Kaempferia ovata Roscoe in Trans. Linn. Soc. London 8: 351 (1807)
Kaempferia pandurata Roxb. in Asiat. Res. 11: 328 (1810)

PUBLICATIONS

Amy Yap Li Ching, Tang Sook Wah, Mohd Aspollah Sukari, Gwendoline Ee Cheng Lian, Mawardi Rahmani & Kaida Khalid (2007). Characterization of flavonoid derivatives from Boesenbergia rotunda (L.). Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences 1: 154-159.

Contu, S. (2009). Boesenbergia rotunda. Assessment using IUCN Categories and Criteria 3.1 (IUCN 2001). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Delin Wu & Larsen, K. (2010). Zingiberaceae. In: Flora of China.

Dy Phon, P. (2000). Dictionnaire des plantes utilisées au Cambodge: 1-915. Chez l'auteur, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Girmansyah, D. & al. (eds.) (2013). Flora of Bali an annotated checklist: 1-158. Herbarium Bogorensis, Indonesia.

Govaerts, R. (1996). World Checklist of Seed Plants 2(1, 2): 1-492. MIM, Deurne.

Ibrahim, H. & Nugroho, A. (1999). Boesenbergia rotunda (L.) Mansf. In: Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 13. Spices, eds C. C. de Guzman & J. S. Siemonsma, pp. 83-85. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, the Netherlands.

Larsen, K. (1996). A prelimanary checklist of the Zingiberaceae of Thailand. Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 24: 35-49.

Ling Jing Jing, Mohamed, M., Rahmat, A. & Abu Bakar, M. F. (2010). Phytochemicals, antioxidant properties and anticancer investigations of the different parts of several gingers [sic] species ( Boesenbergia rotunda, Boesenbergia pulchella var [sic] attenuata and Boesenbergia armeniaca). Journal of Medicinal Plants Research 4: 27-32.

Mostaph, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Nguyen, Q.B. (2017). Thực Vật Chí Việt Nam. Flora of Vietnam 21: 1-489. Nhà xuất bản khoa học và kỹ thuật, Hà Nội.

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (2010). The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

VERNACULAR NAME

Ambon: Tumu kunci
Bima: Dumu kunci
Buru: Sun
English: Fingerroot, Temukunci, Lesser Galangal
Haruku: Aruhu Konci
Indonesian: Temu kunci, Temukunci
Javanese: Kunci
Madura: Konce
Makasar: Tamu konci
Seram: Rutu kakuzi
Sumatera: koncih
Ternate: Tamputi

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