SafePlants

Curcuma australasica: Native Turmeric, Cape York Lily, or Aussie Plume Ginger

Curcuma australasica, commonly known as Native Turmeric or Cape York Lily, is a striking tropical plant native to Australia. It is sometimes also referred to as Aussie Plume Ginger.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Curcuma australasica Hook.f.
• Family: Zingiberaceae (Ginger Family)
• Synonyms: The text mentions related species and cultivars, including references to Curcuma domestica Valet, Curcuma rotunda, and Curcuma longa.
• Authority: Hook.f. refers to Joseph Dalton Hooker, who described the species in 1867 in Botanical Magazine 93: t. 5620.

Distribution and Habitat

• Curcuma australasica is native to Australia, primarily found in the tropics, particularly in Cape York Peninsula and some areas of the Northern Territory. It also grows in Papua New Guinea.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• This herbaceous perennial plant grows from an underground rhizome.
• It produces a cluster of leaves, typically 30-80 cm tall, growing on a pseudostem. Some sources mention it can grow up to 2 meters in height.
• The rhizome is yellow inside and does not elongate significantly.
• Leaves are tufted, with ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, rounded bases, and are glabrous (smooth). They can reach up to 45 cm long and 19 cm wide. The leaves are described as pleated in some sources.
• It produces prominent spikes of pink new growth. Flowers are pink and emerge in the summer, sometimes appearing before the foliage. Both terminal and basal flower spikes are observed.

Ecological Role

• The plant is dormant in winter, which protects it from frost. It emerges in spring.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Aboriginals are reported to eat the roasted rhizomes.

Quirky Facts

• Despite being called "Cape York Lily," this plant is not a true lily but belongs to the ginger family.
• It is unusual for producing flowers with the emergence foliage during the spring and both terminal and basal flowering.

Further Information

• Plants of Hawaii (Forest and Kim Starr)
• Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
• Wikimedia Commons
• World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP), facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew