Herbs anyone??? (Part 5) - Aromatic Ginger

The Kaempferia Galanga Linn is also known as the Aromatic Ginger, Sand Ginger a, Pokok Cekur (Malay) or Kencur (Indonesian). The plant can be found primarily in open areas in southern China, Taiwan, Cambodia and India, but is also widely cultivated throughout Southeast Asia. The plant as a whole is used as a herb for cooking in Indonesia especially the rhizome whereas the aromatic leaves are sometimes used in some of the Malay cuisine and whereas, the young leaves are even eaten raw as salad or ulam. It is believed that by doing so, it helps to remove unwanted 'wind' from the body and helps to maintain a youthful complexion.....uummmmhh :) To use onto young children especially newborn babies, pound the washed leaves and rub or apply onto their tummy to get rid of the unwanted wind.



The rhizomes of the plant, which contains essential oils, have been used in Chinese medicine as a decoction or powder for treating indigestion, cold, pectoral and abdominal pains, headache and toothache. It is also used in Chinese cooking and medicine and is sold in Chinese groceries under the name "Sha Jiang" or "Sand Ginger."Its alcoholic maceration has also been applied as liniment for rheumatism.Kaempferia galanga has a peppery camphorous taste.


The flowers of the Kaemphferia Galanga Linn consists of a few small, soft white petals with a tinge of dark purple. Propagation is by separating the rhizomes into rich, well-drained medium under indirect sunlight.

Another closed relation of the Kaempheria Galanga Linn is the Kaempheria Pulchra 'Bronze'. The plant is also known as the Peacock Ginger or Pokok Cekur Hitam (Malay). The plant is a fast grower compared with only a small plantlet that I bought a few months ago. The main difference between the Kaempheria Galanga and the Kaempheria Pulchra is the colour of the flowers and the leaves. The leaves of the Kaempheria Pulchra is broader & harder and eventhough the size & texture of the flowers are the similar, the main difference is the colour is purplish with a tinge of white in the middle...a total reversal colour of the flower of the Kaempheria Galanga.

The most obvious problem that I noticed when having Peacock Ginger plants is that the beautiful leaves are prone to attacks by small caterpillars and grasshoppers...a good solution to distract all these tiny insects/creatures is to crush finely a clove of garlic and let boil with a litre of water, let to cool & mix with a small amount of dishwashing liquid. Pour the solution into a water sprayer and spray the affected leaves of the plants, taking note NOT to spray onto the roots.

Poison or Cure???

It's been a while since my last post to this blog. With the Eid festivities luncheon & 'open houses' invitations by spouse's friends coupled with the girls' school's examinations, its been a really hectic month of October 2008. Furthermore, with all the activities, I have not been the best of health for the last few weeks...oooohhhh :(

By the way, have you heard of the Angel's Trumpet, Devil's Trumpet, Downy Thorn Apple, Metel? All of the mentioned names referred to the same plant, the Datura Metel var Fastuosa or locally known in Malay as the Pokok Kecubung.

I obtained the seeds of this plant while on holiday in Penang, Malaysia a few years ago while visiting the state's herb garden, mainly attracted by its beautiful white, with a tinge of lavender trumpet-like flowers and unique thorny fruit.

Native to China, India and South-east Asia countries, the Datura Metel is extremely poisonous but surprisingly, the plant is used traditionally in Chinese medicine.




The shrub-like perennial herb/plant consists of ebony black stems, each stem holds a large angular dark-green leaves similar in shape to that of the eggplant leaves. The large tubular flowers normally have a double or triple corolla, with each corolla having a deep purple exterior and white or off-white interior. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (having both male & female organs) and pollination is usually done by insects. What I noticed about this plant that I have in the container pot, there's lots of ants seems to be attracted not only to the flowers but to the plant as a whole.

The thorny like fruits which holds the seeds are almost rounded, approximately around 2.5cm (1 inch) diameter. Upon ripen, the matured fruits will automatically 'burst' open thus dispersing the seeds.



The dry flower, particularly the violet coloured, if rolled and used like a cigar is believed to relieve the asthma or wheezing-like symptoms but it should only be used under the guidance and supervision of a qualified medical practitioner.

The plant as a whole is extremely toxic if digested in any quantity, symptoms like hallucinations, headaches, flushed skin and possibly convulsions or even coma. Accidentally (or intentionally) indigestion even a single leaf could lead to severe side effects..so strict PRECAUTION should be taken to avoid planting the Datura Metel plants near or households with children, they might just get enchanted & attracted with the beautiful flowers. The best way, is to totally avoid planting this extremely poisonous plant in the garden.