IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable (VU)
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Curcuma pseudomontana J.Graham , Cat. Pl. Bombay 210 1839. (syn. Curcuma grahamiana Voigt ; Curcuma ranadei Prain);
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India as per POWO;
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Hill Turmeric • Hindi: Kachura • Marathi: रानहळद raan halada, शिंदळवान shindalavana or शिंदळवानी shindalavani • Tamil: Kattu manjal • Malayalam: Kattu manjal;
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DV – 14AUG10 – 1058 :: Curcuma sp. near Valmiki Ashram : Attachments (5 + 9). 9 posts by 5 authors.

ID please … hopefully, have not mixed two different Curcuma plants … (please correct me if P1220911.JPG is different)
Date/Time : August 14, 2010 at 10.58am IST,
Location Place : near Valmiki Ashram, Aaja Parvat, near Shahapur, Maharashtra
Altitude : about 526 m ± 10m (above mean sea level)
GPS : around 19°27’59.16″N, 73°40’14.29″E

Habitat : moist deciduous forest
Type : rain-forest
Plant
Habit
: annual herb
Height : about 1 – 1.5 m
Length : – not a climber –
Leaves
Type
: simple, with entire and slightly wavy margin, … growing clustered from ground level
Shape : elliptic, blunt tip, tapering base, fusing with stalk
Size : about 50 -70 cm long, the stalk also as long as (or longer than) the leaf, about 15 – 20 cm broad
Inflorescence
Type
: spike rising from plant base, from – among the leaf stalks
Size : about 15 – 20 cm, the stalk too as long (or longer)
Flowers
Size
: the upper-most soft pink ¿ petals ? about 6 – 7 cm x 3 – 4 cm
Colour : pink tinted


Very nice pics as usual.
i had been to Amboli (near Sawantwadi, Maharashtra) in the first week of Aug 2010. i saw same kind of Curcuma plants, nearly 1 to 1.5 mt. tall but unfortunately not a single plant was flowering.
Amboli is called “Cherapunji” of Maharashtra.


This is the regular Hill Tumeric [Cucurma pseudomontana]. I don’t see anything different in this specimen. Have plenty of these currently flowering on my property. Will send photographs later in the day if required.


Thank you very much …
CURCUMAs keep confusing me.
Would like to see different stages of this Curcuma‘s growth.
– Does the plant starts growing with the first showers of monsoon ?
– Does the flower spike start growing right then, and grows along with leaves
– Normally, how long do these flowers stay with the plant ?


I also got confused by the varried colour combination in this species !!


i will go with …


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From my records over the last few years, the flowering seasons were:  

2006    June to September

2007    July  to October

2008    July to September

2009    August to September  

This year new plants first made their appearance on 4th July [Photograph 1]. Later on 11th July new plants were fairly widespread [Photograph 2]. The first flowers were observed on 24th July [Photograph 3].  

Mass flowering is currently on [Photographs 4 to 7] while at the same time new plants continue to sprout [Photographs 8 & 9].  

Would estimate that the inflorescence remains on the plant for about a month. The plants generally droop and die once the monsoons recede in October – November.


… very generous response … have killed all my queries at one go.
Left me wondering about your record-keeping — God bless your meticulousness.


C. pesudomontana   Flower  yellow    spike arising after the leaves, corolla 2-lipped
C. amanda                Flower yellow    spike arising after the leaves  corolla lip 3-lobed
C. decipiens              Flower purple    spike arising after the leaves  corolla lip 2-lobed
C. neilgherensis        Flower pink       spike arise before leaves       corolla lip 2-lobed
C. aromatica             Flower pink        spike arise before leaves       corolla lip 3-lobed

C. inodora                 Flower purplish with yellowish tinge on corolla lip   Spike arise after leaves, lateral   corolla 3-lipped
I have not came across C. reclinata, no reference as of now.

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GRAM 2016 Curcuma? : 4 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (5)
Is it possible to ID Curcuma species with just the inflorescence?
Pictures taken at Kasara, Maharashtra in July 2016

It may be Curcuma pseudomontana. Need the leaf nature also.


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re- identification no250811sn2: Mixed thread: 6 images.
……………………


Mine have also been flowering profusely since mid-July. Sending a few photographs.
P.S. – My previous photographs of this are available at this link


i think this one is other species, may be C. inodora


I am not sure if your plant is Curcuma pseudomontana. Was it summer? or it rained already?
Second plant as shared by … looks different to me too as stated by ….


i wish i could grow curcuma at my place.


YES YOU CAN…
…, when you get them in Indian grocery stores, try to pick the ones that look as if they would sprout… then put in a pot with the synthetic gardening soil, lightly water, cover with a net, or perforated plastic fabric, put it in a tray with pebbles and a little water to make its air humid, put the whole contraption on top of the
refrigerator… will get enough heat to create a humid environ for you Haldi… it will sprout … and get you green leaves… may not get the flowers… but green turmeric leaves to boost your spirits… it does mine !!!



Fair enough. I can accept that you have your reservations, but it would be nice if you could substantiate your claim by posting some of your own photographs.
Dr.Almeida and his student Santosh Yadav have in the recent past visited my farm twice and they have had no such issues with this. Infact, it was on Dr. Almeida’s insistence that I have taken photographs 1 & 2 [reproduced here]. During any monsoon season [between June to October] I have at least a few hundreds of these flowering on my property and they look all the same to me.
5 images.


…, please visit Sanjay Gandhi National Park, yeoor or silonda, you can definately see the differences between the two species.. or best way is visit Blatter Herbarium…


Curcuma pseudomontana


 


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To share 080610 ET – efloraofindia | Google Groups: Mixed thread:
……………….


Sending you my photographs of Hill Tumeric [Cucurma pseudomontana]. They were all taken on my property over the last few years. Flowering has not yet commenced in and around Bombay this year. It generally occurs from towards the end of June till September.


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Commelinales and Zingiberales Week :: Zingiberaceae :: Curcuma pseudomontana: 1 image.
Curcuma pseudomontana
Family : Zinziberaceae
Common in Western ghats in monsoon.



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identification no250811sn2:
I think this is Curcuma pseudomontana. Kindly validate.
date/time:aug 11
location:mulshi,pune

habitat:wild
plant habit:herb
height/length:about1ft.


I think you are right.


yes C. pseudomontana


Yes, Curcuma pseudomontana of Zingiberaceae family.



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Attached are pictures of Curcuma pseudomontana captured at Lohagad in August 2013.
Requested to please validate the ID.

Another very good upload, thanks …


I guess the ID is correct !


Yes, I agree with Curcuma pseudomontana


Curcuma pseudomontana


This is Curcuma pseudomontana which is similar to the ones seen in the high-altitude grasslands of Kerala. The species posted by Dr. Neil Soares from his property though, I believe is another species – a more robust plant that grows in shade and exists as a hybrid continuum with Curcuma inodora which is centred around Karwar, Goa and Sindhdurg. The darkest purple flowers of Curcuma inodora are found in the latter locations with suffusion of yellow as you move northwards with the yellowest flowers seen towards northern Maharashtra. The flowers with the most yellow also have robust inflorescence compared to the flowers found in Goa. I have only visited Goa and Sindhdurg and therefore my observations may be wrong and are open to discussion. A molecular study which includes C.pseudomontana, C.inodora (blue flower, southern limit of range), Unknown sp. (yellow flower, northern limit of range) and C.inodora (blue-yellow flower, central Maharashtra) should clear the existing confusion. I am attaching a collage which I made with pictures from this group I saved at various times and therefore don’t remember the photographers.  Kindly forgive me for not posting picture credits.



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Rajgad, Sep 2014 :: Requesting ID of this Curcuma species :: ARKSEP-29 : 4 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (1).
Requesting to please ID this Curcuma species captured at Rajgad near Pune in Sep 2014. Is this C. inodora?


It may be Curcuma pseudomontana. Need flower details such as anther for confirmation.


Thank you … for the possible ID…. Curcumas are rather confusing…
Unfortunately, I have no other pic..



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Curcuma pseudomontana—-for sharing and validation : 2 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (1)
pic taken at Aambyvalley rd., lonavala, pune in july14.


love the picture. don’t know enough to validate though

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Curcuma pseudomontana—for sharing : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (1)
Pic taken at Aambyvalley Rd., Lonavala, Pune in july15.

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Curcuma pseudomontana—for sharing : 2 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (1)
Pic taken at Aambyvalley Rd.,Lonavala,Pune in july15.


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Beautiful flower in Western Ghats, Baba Budangiri range : 5 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)
I saw this flower in the montane grasslands in the Western Ghats, 2 days back (5.5.17). It was very abundant, with hundreds. Need help in identification.

It’s very beautiful. It’s a Curcuma for sure. Species can be pseudomontana, not very sure. We have … here is the experts, he may focus further.


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¿ Curcuma pseudomontana ? – indiantreepix | Google Groups: 2 images.
I believe this is Curcuma pseudomontana; please validate.
Place: near Amby Valley, Lonavala.
Date: 02 OCT 09


Yes you are correct. it is C. pseudomontana.



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Flower for ID – efloraofindia | Google Groups
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I am sending photos of flower taken in Pattambi, Kerala.  
Is it wild turmeric?
Kindly identify the flower.


yes. it is wild turmeric.
this might be Cucurcuma pseudomontana (Zingiberaceae)


Yes this is Curcuma pseudomontana. Wild turmeric. In marathi known as ‘Raan Halad’


Cucurcuma pseudomontana indeed a week back … posted several pictures of this plant !!


Wild Turmeric (रान हलद in Marathi) I’ve observed it flowers by the end of may here in Mumbai’s wildlife region, but this time it flowered little late.. I think by start of June it started flowering.


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curcuma sp from Periyar – indiantreepix | Google Groups: 1 image.
taken this from Uppupara area of Periyar on 10-5-2009
I think it is some curcuma sp, may be Curcuma aromatica. Please comment on ID


You are correct. It looks like ginger to me. The leaves in the background also look like ginger.


Could it be Black Turmeric (Curcuma caesia)?


My apologies, It is turmeric. I had not checked after zooming the picture. The leaves are broad unlike ginger. I have shown it to a friend and he confirms that it is turmeric.


it is Curcuma pseudomontana
please check Indiantreepix database.
all details are there with difference between the species



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Pattern on Curcuma pseudomontana leaves. – indiantreepix | Google Groups:
I have observed several Curcurma pseudomontana leaves with particular pattern of eating by an insect in the forests in Mumbai. What could be the reason for this?. I will be grateful for an explanation for this particular behaviour from the knowledgable members.


My imagination is that the leaf was young and in curled state when the insect devoured some part of it.



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References:
POWO