About Curcuma australasica Hook.f.
Curcuma australasica Hook.f. is the only Australian native species among over 100 Curcuma species found across the globe. Its distribution includes Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, several locations in the Northern Territory, and Papua New Guinea. It typically grows in moist depressions within sandstone regions, as well as in wet woodland and forest habitats. It grows well in containers, and is often cultivated for its very attractive, long-lasting flowers. This species can be propagated by division. It prefers abundant watering during summer and drier conditions during winter, matching the monsoonal climate patterns of its native range. It is grown for its flowers in Zimbabwe, and a cultivated cultivar named "Aussie Plume" is grown in the United States, which can reach up to 6 feet (almost 2 metres) in height. The wild native form is usually less than 500 mm (20 inches) tall, and produces long, pleated green leaves that measure 140-450 mm long by 60–190 mm wide. Its flowers are 15–20 mm across, and bloom from November to March in Queensland; they are typically yellow, borne on a spike that has pink, red, mauve, or green bracts. Occasional white-flowered forms grow in the wild. In the Aboriginal Gugu Yimithirr language, this species is called kumbigi. Aboriginal people of Cape York Peninsula traditionally roasted and ate the rhizomes of Curcuma australasica. While it has not been evaluated for the IUCN Red List, it is very common and widespread across Queensland.
