Alpinia malaccensis (Burm.f.) Roscoe

Lengkuas malaka (Alpinia malaccensis) is a herb 2-4 meters tall of the Zingiberaceae family, originating from India and spreading to Malaysia, Indonesia, and China. Its rhizome is used as a cooking seasoning and spice, as well as traditional medicine, recorded as being found by the Socfindo Conservation team in Nagan Raya, Aceh. Traditionally, lengkuas malaka is believed to relieve fever, nausea, and maintain gum health.

Grows wild in dense clumps in teak forests, bamboo, and shrubland. Grows well in shaded places at elevations up to 1,500 m above sea level. Average annual rainfall 800-4,000 mm/year. Minimum temperature 2 ºC.

• Roots fibrous, brown in color.
• Rhizome cylindrical shape, reddish-brown or pale greenish-yellow in color, white flesh inside.
• Stem pseudostem, light green in color.
• Leaves narrowly lance-shaped, 40-90 cm x 7-20 cm in size, single, and green in color. Tapering leaf tip, smooth edges, pinnate venation. Leaf stalk length 3-7 cm.
• Flowers white, compound, emerging at the stem tip, cluster-shaped. Corolla tube-shaped white, the tip red or orange-red when blooming.
• Fruit berry-shaped, round, hard, hairy, green when young and turning orange when mature.
• Seeds numerous, small, oblong, black in color.

Propagated by seed, separation of offshoots from the rhizome.

Sesquiterpene, essential oil, camphor, sabinene, linalool, fenchyl acetate, citronellol, decanoic acid, β-farnesol, α-farnesol, myristic acid, palmitic acid, alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, tannins, saponins, glycosides.

Treats wounds, boils, blisters, fever, nausea and vomiting, maintains gum and tooth health, addresses sore throat, treats stomach ache, tonic.

• Clean the rhizome of any attached dirt, then wash thoroughly and drain.
• Weigh the material then chop into thin slices.
• Arrange the tubers on a tray and air-dry for 7 days until the moisture content reaches 10%.
• Once dry, pack in plastic and vacuum-seal.

Bunglai laki-laki, Bolang, Kepolang (Malay), Saya (Aceh), Siga (Palembang), Kamijara (Java), Laja gowah (Sunda), Langkuas malaka (Maluku), Susuk (Lampung).