Kaempferia pulchra

Taxonomy
Phylum : Tracheophyta
Class    : Liliopsida
Order    : Zingiberales
Family   : Zingiberaceae
Genus   : Kaempferia
Species : Kaempferia pulchra
                                                                                        

Common Name
Cekur Hitam, Limestone Kaempferia, Peacock-ginger.

Characteristics
It is a herbaceous plant, perrenial, low growing, compact herb up to 0.6 m tall.
                                                                                     

Morphology

Leaves
The broadly ovate to elliptic leaves are variegated with alternating bands of grey and olive green to bronze. Young leaves have yellowish green and reddish brown bands.

Stem
The underground stem, known as a rhizome, is small and round. Fleshy roots form off the rhizome.

Flower
Its flowers are pale-purple, with a small white center.
                                                                                        

Plant Part Used
Leaves and Whole Plant
                                                                                     

Traditional Uses

• It is used for blood stimulation and the treatment of coughs, diabetes mellitus, and urinary tract infections.
• It is known to exhibit antipyretic and diuretic effects.
• In India, the rhizome is dried, crushed into a powder and applied as a poultice to patients with mumps.

Medicinal Uses

• Research on the discovery of anticancer agents from K. pulchra has revealed that kaempulchraol F (C19H30O2) and kaempulchraol L(C21H34O2) exhibit antiproliferative activities against human pancreatic cancer.

                                                                                     

List of Country
Southern Thailand to Northern Peninsular Malaysia

Red List Category
Not Evaluated (NE)

Engelbert Kaempfer (1693)

Muhammad Haqim bin Mohamad Zakariah

Muhammad Haqim bin Mohamad Zakariah

English