[Study on growth characteristics of Curcuma wenyujin].
OBJECTIVE
To study on growth characteristics of Curcuma wenyujin, and provide theoretical basis for the development of high-quality and high-yield medical material.


METHODS
The morphological change of the plant was observed periodically, the content of volatile oil and dry matter in leaves, rhizome, root tuber was determine.


RESULTS
The growth of C. wenyujin could be divided into 5 stages, i. e. seed germination, seedling, leaf growth, rhizome expansion, accumulation of dry matter, respectively. Before the stage of rhizome expansion, over 70% dry matter was accumulated in the aerial part of the plant, and during the stage of leaf growth, the maximum increase rate of dry matter in aerial part was 3.90 g/p/d. During the stage of rhizome expansion, the ratio of dry matter of rhizome increased quickly and reached above 33% , and the increase rate of dry matter of rhizome rise up to 3.83 g/p/d, in the end of the stage, the content of volatile oil in the rhizome also rose up to 1.20 mL x 100 g(-1).


CONCLUSIONS
During the whole growth stage, there are two growth centers, when the two curves of dry matter increase of aerial part and rhizome intersect, it is regarded as a signal that the growth transformed form the aerial part to rhizome. When the rate of dry matter from rhizome rise, the content of volatile oil in rhizome rises quickly with the increase of dry matter in rhizome. The optimal harvest time is in mid-December.
Tao
Zheng-Ming
ZM
Zhejiang Institute of the Subtropical Crops, Wenzhou 325005, China. zmtao2002@yahoo.com.cn
Wu
Zhi-Gangi
ZG
Huang
Pin-Hu
PH
Gu
Xue-Ping
XP
Li
Lin
L
Guo
Xiu-Zhu
XZ
Wang
Zhi-An
ZA
D030024:Curcuma / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*; D018525:Germination; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000032:analysis*; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*; D027343:Rhizome / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development; D012621:Seasons; D036226:Seedlings / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development
D009822:Oils, Volatile