title: [Study on growth characteristics of Curcuma wenyujin].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Institute of the Subtropical Crops, Wenzhou 325005, China. zmtao2002@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Zheng-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Zhi-Gangi
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Pin-Hu
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xue-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiu-Zhu
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Zhi-An
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile