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It is a plant coming from India and Southeast Asia.
It was used for thousands of years as a wool dye, in food and in traditional medicine.
It is a herbaceous plant acauline, perennial, rhizomatous, up to 1.5 m high.
They need a temperature between 20-30 °C and high humidity.
It multiplies by seeds or rhizomes. Blooming occurs in summer.
Its leaves are large, thin, about 0.5 m, light green, with the entire margin and pinnatinerve.
With an arrangement diptych and oblong or lanceolate limbs.
The inflorescence is terminal and basal cylindrical spike- shaped. They joined laterally bracts, green with red spots.
The flowers are zygomorphic and hermaphrodites.
The calyx is tubular, with three welded sepals and the corolla has three yellow or white welded petals.
Androecium with a single fertile stamen and gynoecium with three carpels welded to the inferior ovary.
They have a high production of nectar and zoophilic pollination.
The rhizome is orange inside and brown outside.
There is a main thick rhizome from which lots of roots spring. Form round turmeric.
Appear secondary rhizomes, lateral, elongated. Turmeric elongated shape, used in the market.
The part used is rhizome. It is classified, washed and boiled. It is cut, dried and then the milling is performed to obtain turmeric powder.
Rhizomes collection is done in the fall, after the leaves fall.
Its main active ingredient is curcumin (turmeric acid).
The isolated chemical components contain curcumin, a yellow couloring-stuff, essential oil, starch (between 30 and 40%).
It is used in food as food coloring (E-100), an ingredient of curry.
It is used in medicine as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, choleretic, bactericidal, antispasmodic, carminative, cholesterol lowering.
Other uses: fabric dying, ointment colouring, salves, obtaining essences for perfumes and liquors.