Curcuma longa Linnaeus, Species Plantarum 1: 2. 1753, typ. cons.

"Habitat in India." RCN: 13.

Type not designated.

Original material: Herb. Hermann 3: 5, No. 7 (BM); Herb. Linn. No. 7.4 (LINN); [icon] in Hermann, Hort. Lugd.-Bat. Cat.: 208, 209. 1687.

Generitype of Curcuma Linnaeus, nom. cons.

Current name: Curcuma longa L. ( Zingiberaceae).

Note: Although Curcuma is conserved, with C. longa as its conserved type, the type of C. longa is itself uncertain. Merrill (Interpret. Rumph. Herb. Amb.: 163. 1917) said that it was "based wholly on Curcuma radice longa Herm. ", but this comprises an illustration and a specimen, both of which were similarly treated as type by Burtt & Smith (in Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 31: 185. 1972). Burtt & Smith treated C. longa as a nomen dubium in line with earlier authors such as Valeton, Alston etc., based on difficulties in identification.