Yu Jin

Curcuma wenyujin and the closely related Curcuma aromatica (Yu Jin) are perennial rhizomatous herbs in the Zingiberaceae family, growing 50 to 100 centimeters tall from a stout fleshy primary rhizome bearing pendulous secondary tuberous roots — the latter are the Yu Jin of commerce, while the primary rhizome itself yields the related medicinal Wen Yu Jin or E Zhu. The aromatic rhizome is internally bright yellow to orange-yellow, with a characteristic camphoraceous, slightly bitter aroma. Pseudostems formed by overlapping leaf sheaths bear large oblong-lanceolate to elliptic leaves 30 to 60 centimeters long, dark green with a paler midrib stripe. Inflorescences arise separately from the rhizome on a short scape, with terminal cone-like spikes of overlapping bracts; the upper sterile bracts (coma bracts) are conspicuously pink to rose-purple, while lower fertile bracts subtend pale yellow to creamy labellate flowers characteristic of the ginger family. Native to southern and southwestern China, including Zhejiang and Sichuan, and to South and Southeast Asia.