Curcuma rangjued is a species of flowering plant in the family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial plant with yellowish flowers. The species is native to Laos and Thailand, and was described in 2021.
Curcuma rangjued is used to treat poisoning, and is named for a Thai word meaning "to make the poison fade or decrease".
Taxonomy The species was described by Surapon Saensouk and Thawatphong Boonma in 2021. The type specimen was collected in Mae Hong Son province, Thailand, in 2017.
Curcuma rangjued belongs to the subgenus Curcuma.
Distribution Curcuma rangjued is native to the wet tropical biome of Laos and Thailand. It grows in deciduous and dry evergreen forests.
Description Curcuma rangjued is a perennial herb with underground storage organs.
The leafy shoots are high, and have five to seven leaves. The leaf stems are long. The leaves are elliptical to oblanceolate, long, and wide.
The inflorescence is a thyrse that grows on a stem. The inflorescence is long. The calyx is long, yellowish-white, semitranslucent, and sparsely hairy. The floral tube is pale yellow, narrowly cylindrical at the base, and becomes funnel-shaped at the end. The flowers have a single stamen. The plant flowers in the rainy season, from June to October.
Curcuma rangjued is similar to Curcuma amada and Curcuma sichuanensis. Unlike C. amada and C. sichuanensis, the rhizome of Curcuma rangjued is not aromatic.
Uses The rhizome is used to treat poisoning and inflammation, and is used in detoxification.
Etymology The specific epithet rangjued is derived from the species' common name in Thai, which means 'to make the poison fade or decrease'.
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