Hundreds of people show interest in growing ornamental plants and flowers in their gardens or outdoors. Bonsai is a very famous Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in small pots or plastic containers. The bonsai trees will mimic the fully grown trees and Japanese feel that small trees will bring good luck to them. This form of growing small trees in the containers originated somewhere in 6th century in the country of China. This topic will deal with a medicinal plant and herb named Fingerroot which is native to China and Southeast Asia and comes under the family Zingiberaceae. The botanical name of this plant is Boesenbergia rotunda. The other common names of this plant are Chinese keys, lesser galangal, or Chinese ginger.
This plant is also cultivated in Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. These rhizome geophytes grow well in humid and deciduous forest. It grows in shaded areas of hill-slopes. The color of the rhizome is bright yellow and it is aromatic. This plant reaches a height of 50 cm tall and the oblong or ovate shaped leaves grow up to 12 cm wide. The fragrant rich flowers are pink in color and produced in terminal inflorescences.
Various Uses Of Fingerroot
- This tasty rhizome is used in Thai cuisine named krachai which is famous in Thailand.
- The rhizomes are eaten as a vegetable and countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, India and China use it as spicy flavoring in many cuisines and pickles.
- The roots of this plant are used as tonic mixtures, stomachic, carminative and remedy for coughs and colds.
- It is also used for treating rheumatoid problems.
- This plant is classified as ornamental plant since it has beautiful flowers.
- Research is underway to find the antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and other medicinal properties of this plant.
- This plant grows wonderfully in well-drained loam which is rich in organic matter.But also grows in sandy soils.
- The tempeh cake which is famous in Thailand is made from this rhizome. The people suffering from erectile dysfunction, lower sperm counts and other such sexual problems can consume this wonderful rhizome.
- They will be benefitted a lot when they consume this powerful rhizome which has lots of medicinal properties.
- The flavonoids can prevent an occurrence of dengue fever.
- The plant has a component named pinostrobin induces anti-ulcerogenic property.