अरण्यहलदी - Curcuma aromatica
Name - अरण्यहलदी
Botanical name - Curcuma aromatica
Description - Herb; rootstock large, 2.5 cm in diameter, tubers sessile, yellow, aromatic inside; petiole long, green, leaf blades 30-60 cm by 10-20 cm, plain green above or variegated with lighter and darker green, lower sur-face clothed with persistent soft hairs, may not mature at the time of flowering; spikes with peduncle 30 cm, bracts ovate, pale green, 3.7-5.0 cm, those of coma, tinged with pink; flowers 2.5 cm, upper half funnel-shaped, yellowish
Chemical Constituents- Rhizome contains colouring matter curcumin, essential oil containing triterpenes curcumol. Essential oil from Rhizome: curcumol and curdion
Use - Traditional use : Rhizome : in child birth, indigestion, intestinal worms, rheumatism and in removing dead foetus from womb; Modern use : EtOH (50%) extract of rhizome : spasmolytic; Rhizome-powder : anthelmintic; Essential oil from Rhizome : antifungal, anthelmintic, anti-microbial, used for treatment of early stages-of cervical cancer
