The golden turmeric exudes the peaceful confidence of a Buddhist Monk.  Growing about three feet tall, he has an erect stature, while keeping a gentle flexibility.  His leaves are alternate and arranged in two rows, giving him a structure without rigidity.  From his leaf sheaths, he grows a false stem with a long (20-45 inch) petiole.  Atop that is his similarly long and oblong simple leaf (30–60 inches).  Although he is often considered aligned with the masculine, it is a delicate masculinity.  In fact, like his hermaphrodite flowers, there is almost a non-genderness about him.  His flower spikes sit terminally upon a false stem and bloom early in the growing season, often before the unfurling of the plant’s leaves.  The uppermost bracts are the most showy, but do not host the little florets.  Instead the florets are tucked in amongst the less-showy lower bracts.  These bracts are eaten as a vegetable.  The little florets themselves are bright yellow.  Look for sets of three here, three sepals and three petals. Only the center stamen of the inner circle is fertile, all other stamens are more precisely staminodes.  Despite his good looks, his beauty shines in his root.  Thick, branched, rich and golden rhizomes are the source of the spice, medicine and dye turmeric.  In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is an agent of  balance, promoting harmony among three doshas: vata (air), pitta (fire), and kapha (water).

The Magic of Turmeric

The Medicine of Turmeric

Science of Turmeric