Curculigo
Curculigo orchioides
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Hypoxidaceae
Genus: Curculigo
Gaertn. (1788)
Synonyms[1]
  • Aurota Raf. (1837)
  • Franquevillea Zoll. ex Miq. (1859)
  • Friedmannia Kocyan & Wiland (2016), nom. illeg.
  • Heliacme Ravenna (2003)
  • Hypoxidia F.Friedmann (1985)
  • Molineria Colla (1826)
  • Neofriedmannia Kocyan & Wiland (2017)

Curculigo is a flowering plant genus in the family Hypoxidaceae, first described in 1788. It is widespread across tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas.[2][3]

Curculin is a sweet protein that was discovered and isolated in 1990 from the fruit of Curculigo latifolia,[4] a plant from Malaysia. Like miraculin, curculin exhibits taste-modifying activity; however, unlike miraculin, it also exhibits a sweet taste by itself. After consumption of curculin, water and sour solutions taste sweet. The plant is referred to locally as lembah or lumbah; English: 'weevil-wort'.[5]

Species[1]
  1. Curculigo annamitica Gagnep. – Vietnam
  2. Curculigo breviscapa S.C.Chen – China (Guangxi, Guangdong)
  3. Curculigo capitulata (Lour.) Kuntze
  4. Curculigo conoc Gagnep. – Vietnam
  5. Curculigo crassifolia (Baker) Hook.f.
  6. Curculigo disticha Gagnep. – Vietnam
  7. Curculigo ensifolia R.Br. – Australia
  8. Curculigo erecta Lauterb. – Philippines, Sumatra, New Guinea, Solomon Islands
  9. Curculigo fabrei Hul
  10. Curculigo fakimensis (Odyuo, D.K.Roy & Khamdi) Christenh. & Byng
  11. Curculigo gracilis (Kurz) Wall. ex Hook.f.
  12. Curculigo janarthanamii R.D. Gore & S.P.Gaikwad – India
  13. Curculigo latifolia Dryand. ex W.T.Aiton
  14. Curculigo maharashtrensis M.R.Almeida & S.Yadav – Maharashtra
  15. Curculigo maheensis (F.Friedmann) Christenh. & Byng
  16. Curculigo oligantha (C.E.C.Fisch.) Bennet & Raizada
  17. Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. – China, Japan, Indian Subcontinent, Papuasia, Micronesia
  18. Curculigo pilosa (Schumach. & Thonn.) Engl. – tropical Africa, Madagascar
  19. Curculigo prainiana (Deb) Bennet & Raizada
  20. Curculigo racemosa Ridl. – Borneo
  21. Curculigo rhizophylla (Baker) T.Durand & Schinz
  22. Curculigo sabui S.P. Gaikwad & Gore – India
  23. Curculigo savantwadiensis M.R.Almeida & S.Yadav – Maharashtra
  24. Curculigo scorzonerifolia (Lam.) Baker – southern Mexico, Central America, West Indies, northern South America
  25. Curculigo seychellensis Bojer ex Baker – Seychelles
  26. Curculigo sinensis S.C.Chen – China (Yunnan)
  27. Curculigo tonkinensis Gagnep. – Vietnam
  28. Curculigo trichocarpa (Wight) Bennet & Raizada

References

  1. ^ a b Curculigo Gaertn. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  2. ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  3. ^ Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 271 仙茅属 xian mao shu Curculigo Gaertner, Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 63. 1788.
  4. ^ Yamashita H, Theerasilp S, Aiuchi T, Nakaya K, Nakamura Y, Kurihara Y (September 1990). "Purification and complete amino acid sequence of a new type of sweet protein taste-modifying activity, curculin". J. Biol. Chem. 265 (26): 15770–5. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(18)55464-8. PMID 2394746.
  5. ^ Hean Chooi Ong (2004). Tumbuhan liar: khasiat ubatan & kegunaan lain. Utusan Publications. p. 24. ISBN 9676116300.

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