Curculigo is a flowering plant genus in the family Hypoxidaceae, first described in 1788. It is widespread across tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas.

Curculin is a sweet protein that was discovered and isolated in 1990 from the fruit of Curculigo latifolia, a plant from Malaysia. Like miraculin, curculin exhibits taste-modifying activity; however, unlike miraculin, it also exhibits a sweet taste by itself. After consumption of curculin, water and sour solutions taste sweet. The plant is referred to locally as lembah or lumbah; English: 'weevil-wort'.

Species

Plants of the World Online includes:

  • Curculigo annamitica Gagnep. – Vietnam
  • Curculigo breviscapa S.C.Chen – China (Guangxi, Guangdong)
  • Curculigo capitulata (Lour.) Kuntze
  • Curculigo conoc Gagnep. – Vietnam
  • Curculigo crassifolia (Baker) Hook.f.
  • Curculigo disticha Gagnep. – Vietnam
  • Curculigo ensifolia R.Br. – Australia
  • Curculigo erecta Lauterb. – Philippines, Sumatra, New Guinea, Solomon Islands
  • Curculigo fabrei Hul
  • Curculigo fakimensis (Odyuo, D.K.Roy & Khamdi) Christenh. & Byng
  • Curculigo gracilis (Kurz) Wall. ex Hook.f.
  • Curculigo janarthanamii R.D. Gore & S.P.Gaikwad – India
  • Curculigo latifolia Dryand. ex W.T.Aiton
  • Curculigo maharashtrensis M.R.Almeida & S.Yadav – Maharashtra
  • Curculigo maheensis (F.Friedmann) Christenh. & Byng
  • Curculigo oligantha (C.E.C.Fisch.) Bennet & Raizada
  • Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. – China, Japan, Indian Subcontinent, Papuasia, Micronesia
  • Curculigo pilosa (Schumach. & Thonn.) Engl. – tropical Africa, Madagascar
  • Curculigo prainiana (Deb) Bennet & Raizada
  • Curculigo racemosa Ridl. – Borneo
  • Curculigo rhizophylla (Baker) T.Durand & Schinz
  • Curculigo sabui S.P. Gaikwad & Gore – India
  • Curculigo savantwadiensis M.R.Almeida & S.Yadav – Maharashtra
  • Curculigo scorzonerifolia (Lam.) Baker – southern Mexico, Central America, West Indies, northern South America
  • Curculigo seychellensis Bojer ex Baker – Seychelles
  • Curculigo sinensis S.C.Chen – China (Yunnan)
  • Curculigo tonkinensis Gagnep. – Vietnam
  • Curculigo trichocarpa (Wight) Bennet & Raizada

External links

  • Data related to Curculigo at Wikispecies
  • Media related to Curculigo at Wikimedia Commons