Family: Zingiberaceae
Synonym:Alpinia linguiformis Roxb.
Bengali/Vernacular name: Tara.
Tribal name: Ching-yang (Chak), Pynuei (Khumi), Airia (Lushai), Korm hing (Murang).
Description of the plant: A tall, leafy, perennial herb, up to 2 m high, with stout, copiously stoloniferous aromatic rhizome. Leaves 30-45 cm long, oblong, lanceolate, glabrous. Spikes about 8 cm long, red, oblong, narrowed at both ends, few-flowered, submerged mostly in the soil. Lip of the flower 5 cm long, oblong, bright red and yellow, deflexed, folded below the middle.
Plant parts used: Leaf,rhizome.
Herbal uses: Pieces of rhizomes are chewed with betel leaf to cure sore throat.
A fresh juice extracted from the rhizomes of the plant is taken twice a day (5 ml amount each time) until the stomachache is cured.
Pea-sized pills made with the rhizomes of the plant are taken thrice a day (one pill each time) for 15 days, at the same time fomentation (fresh leaves of those plant after heated on fire) is given to the swelling place to treat rheumatism.
Rhizome of the plant is used for the treatment of respiratory complaints.
Distribution: It is found in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, and Maulvi Bazar, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Is this plant misidentified? If yes, please tell us….
