Alpinia calcarata (Haw.) RoscoeFamily: Zingiberaceae
Telugu: Dumparastramu.
Asamese: Sugandhi bach
Chinese: 距花山姜
Hindi: कुलंजन Kulanjan
Kannada: Chikkadumparaasme
Oriya: Toroni
Sanskrit: Rasna, सुगंधमूल Sugandhamoola, Kulanjana
Malayalam: Chittaratha, Kolinchi,
Description: Leafy stem 1-1.5 m. Leaves sessile, lamina glabrous, 40-50 x 2-2.5 cm, linear-lanceolate, narrowed towards the base, tip acuminate, margin with short bristles placed 1-2 mm apart; ligule membranous, c. 1 cm long, tip shortly bifid, margin ciliate. Inflorescence terminal, 10-15 cm long, densely paniculate, lower cincinni 4-flowered, upper 2-flowered; peduncle densely pubescent. Bracts minute, c. 1 mm long, triangular, pubescent, deciduous. Bracteoles membranous, splitting to the base, 1-1.5 x 0.7-0.8 cm, ovate, minutely pubescent outside, glabrous within, deciduous. Flowers shortly pedicellate; pedicel densely pubescent. Calyx tubular, 0.8-1 cm long, sparsely pubescent. Corolla tube almost equal to the calyx, pubescent, lobes oblong, pubescent outside; dorsal lobe 1.5-1.8 x 0.6-0.8 cm; lateral lobes c. 1.5 x 0.5 cm. Labellum obovate, 3 cm long, 1.5-1.8 cm wide in the lower half, tip emarginate, variegated with dark purple and yellow, glabrous. Lateral staminodes small, subulate, at the base of the labellum. Stamen 2 cm long, shorter than the labellum, anther 8 mm long, thecae parallel, pubescent, ecrestate; style slightly projected above the anther; stigma rounded with ciliate opening. Epigynous glands two, 3 mm long, thick, free from each other. Ovary 4 x 3 mm, densely pubescent, trilocular with many ovules. Fruit globose, 2-2.5 x 1.5 cm, pubescent, orange-red. Seeds many.
Uses in Ayurveda: Rhizome antiinflammatory, antinociceptive, antirheumatic, to cure cardiac diseases, cold, to treat throat inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, diseases of nervous system, stimulating digestion, purifying blood, and also to adulterate sugandha. Dried powdered rhizome stimulant, febrifuge and carminative, for rheumatism, bronchial catarrh. [CRC World Dictionary of MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS PLANTS]
Alpinia calcarata rhibozomes are claimed to possess a strong and safe oral aphrodisiac activity. [Ethnomedicinal
Plants Revitalization of Traditional Knowledge of Herbs]
A decoction of the rhizome of this plant is given for rheumatism. It is also used as a fomentation on rheumatic joints. [MEDICINAL PLANTS (Indigenous and Exotic) Used in Ceylon PART V ]
44 Published articles of Alpinia calcarata
