Curcuma longa

A stemless, rhizomatous herb of the ZINGIBERACEAE family with fleshy rhizome, branched, with bright orange to yellow within. Leaves are large, elongated and borne at the top of the non-woody underground stem, with overlapping petioles. Leaves are light green, 30–40 cm long and 8–12 cm wide with thin ellipse-shaped or elongate lance-shaped blades. The pale yellow cylindrical inflorescence, 10–15 by 6–8 cm, develops in the center of the leaves. It consists of curved bracts, each with at least 2 yellow flowers, except in the upper part, where the bracts are white or pink. A stamen with short filament, broad and constricted at the apex is found in the floret. The anther is versatile and usually spurred at the base. The ovaries consist of threelocules, each containing 2 ovules. The capsules are ellipsoid. Seeds are rare.