Curcuma inodora

The main threats to C. inodora comes from habitat loss and overharvesting for local medicinal use and the horticultural trade. Tubers of C. inodora have long been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of muscular pain (Reddy et al. 2006, Jagtap et al. 2009). Gingers have enjoyed popularity as an ornamental plant in Asia and the Far East for centuries. Ornamental gingers have rapidly increased in popularity in the past few years in the western world (West Demmy and Burch 1998), which has promoted an increase in illegal collecting. Curcuma inodora has high ornamental value and is sold as an ornamental. However, nurseries may seldom offer true plants of this species (Branney 2005). The impact of extraction of rhizomes and tubers for trade and medicinal purposes is unknown and should be investigated. Habitats in the region have suffered from conversion to agricultural land and human settlements and are now highly fragmented in large parts of the range. However, the occurrence of C. inodora in roadside cuttings suggests that the taxon is able to persist and regenerate in disturbed and secondary vegetation.

It is not known whether this species occurs within any conservation units or botanic gardens. The taxon is a popular ornamental plant. It was assessed as Vulnerable in Andra Pradesh (Jhadav et al. 2006) but is not listed as threatened in Maharashtra and appears to have a National status of common (Kadam Environmental Consultant 2009). Due to harvesting of rhizomes and tubers for medicinal and ornamental purposes, the population should be monitored regularly and the impact of extraction on the population investigated. Curcuma species are gaining importance world wide as a potential source of new drugs to combat a variety of ailments (Sasikumar 2005) and their germplasm conservation is very important. Micropropagation protocols should be developed to release pressure on the wild population.