Curculigo orchioides Gaertn.

Rhizomes erect, subcylindric, ca. 10 × 1 cm. Leaves sessile or shortly petiolate; leaf blade lanceolate to linear, usually 10--45(--90) × 0.5--2.5 cm, laxly pilose or glabrous, base tapering, apex narrowly acuminate. Flowering stems nearly enclosed in base of sheathing petiole, 6--7 cm, pilose; bracts lanceolate, 2.5--5 cm, margin ciliate. Inflorescences umbel-like racemes, 4--6-flowered. Pedicel ca. 2 mm. Perianth yellow; segments oblong-lanceolate, 8--12 × 2.5--3 mm, outer ones sometimes abaxially laxly pilose. Stamens ca. 1/2 as long as perianth segments; filament 1.5--2.5 mm; anther 2--4 mm. Ovary narrowly oblong, to 7.5 mm, pilose. Stigma lobes longer than style. Berry subfusiform, 1.2--1.5 × ca. 0.6 cm; beak ca. 2.5 mm. Fl. and fr. Apr--Sep.

A tropical plant. In Papua New Guinea it grows mostly below 1,000 m altitude. It occurs in open grassland at low and medium altitudes in the Philippines. In southern China it grows on open grassy slopes from near sea level to 1,600 m above sea level.

Uses Medicinal use of roots is mentioned by Burkill ( Burkill Diet. Econ. Prod. Mai. Penins. 1 1935 703 ) and Quisumbing ( Quisumbing Medic. Pl. Philipp. 1951 172 ) on the strength of Indian literature.

Can be grown by seedlings.