Curcuma prakasha

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

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|genus = Curcuma

|species = prakasha

|authority = S.Tripathi Species account was published first in Nordic Journal of Botany Copenhagen 21(5): 549. 2002 {{ cite web |url=http://www.ipni.org:80/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=20006498-1 |title=Plant Name Details for Curcuma prakasha |quote=Distribution: Assam (Meghalaya); Collector: Sunil Tripathi |work=IPNI |accessdate=May 12, 2011}}{{ cite journal |author=Dr. S. Tripathi, Ethnobotany Division, National Botanical Research Institute, India. corresponding address Dr. S Tripathi Lecturer, PG dept. of Botany Y D (PG) college Lakhimpur kheri U P India |title=Curcuma prakasha sp. nov. (Zingiberaceae) from North-eastern India |journal=Nordic Journal of Botany (Corrected Version) |location=Copenhagen |year=2002 |volume=21 |issue=5 |pages=549–550 |issn=0107-055X |doi=10.1111/j.1756-1051.2002.tb01624.x|doi-access= }}

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Curcuma prakasha is a species in the ginger family of plants, somewhat new to science. It was collected from open grassland (alt. c. 400m.) in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya State in India (its only known location) by its binomial author, Sunil Tripathi. He named it in Honor of Dr. Ved Prakash, an economic botanist, ethnobotanist and taxonomist. C. prakasha is ant-pollinated, and flowers and bears its fruit both in May. The rhizomes of C. prakasha are used locally to treat bruises and swollen throats. It is closely related to C. neilgherrensis Wight.