{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Curculigo orchioides.jpg | image_caption = ''Curculigo orchioides'' | taxon = Curculigo | authority = Gaertn. (1788) | synonyms = *''Aurota'' {{small|Raf. (1837)}} *''Franquevillea'' <small>Zoll. ex Miq. (1859)</small> *''Friedmannia'' {{small|Kocyan & Wiland (2016), nom. illeg.}} *''Heliacme'' <small>Ravenna (2003)</small> *''Hypoxidia'' {{small|F.Friedmann (1985)}} *''Molineria'' {{small|Colla (1826)}} *''Neofriedmannia'' {{small|Kocyan & Wiland (2017)}} | synonyms_ref = <ref name=powo>[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1430-1 ''Curculigo'' Gaertn.] ''Plants of the World Online''. Retrieved 9 October 2023.</ref> }}
'''''Curculigo'''''<ref>Yousif, Ragheed Hussam, et al. "Exploring the Molecular Interactions between Neoculin and the Human Sweet Taste Receptors through Computational Approaches." ''Sains Malaysiana'' 49.3 (2020): 517-525. APA</ref> is a flowering plant genus in the family Hypoxidaceae, first described in 1788. It is widespread across tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas.<ref name=i9>[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=303669 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]</ref><ref>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=108705 Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 271 <big>仙茅属</big> xian mao shu ''Curculigo'' Gaertner, Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 63. 1788. ]</ref>
Curculin is a sweet protein that was discovered and isolated in 1990 from the fruit of ''Curculigo latifolia'',<ref name = jbc-265-15770>{{cite journal |vauthors=Yamashita H, Theerasilp S, Aiuchi T, Nakaya K, Nakamura Y, Kurihara Y |title=Purification and complete amino acid sequence of a new type of sweet protein taste-modifying activity, curculin |journal=J. Biol. Chem. |volume=265 |issue=26 |pages=15770–5 |date=September 1990 |doi=10.1016/S0021-9258(18)55464-8 |pmid=2394746 |url=http://www.jbc.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=2394746|doi-access=free }}</ref> a plant from Malaysia. Like miraculin, curculin exhibits taste-modifying activity; however, unlike miraculin, it also exhibits a sweet taste by itself. After consumption of curculin, water and sour solutions taste sweet. The plant is referred to locally as {{lang|zsm|lembah}} or {{lang|zsm|lumbah}}; English: 'weevil-wort'.<ref name=liar>{{cite book | title=Tumbuhan liar: khasiat ubatan & kegunaan lain | page=24 | author=Hean Chooi Ong | publisher=Utusan Publications | year=2004 | isbn=9676116300}}</ref>
==Species== Plants of the World Online<ref name=powo/> includes: *''Curculigo annamitica'' <small>Gagnep.</small> – Vietnam *''Curculigo breviscapa'' <small>S.C.Chen</small> – China (Guangxi, Guangdong) *''Curculigo capitulata'' {{small|(Lour.) Kuntze}} *''Curculigo conoc'' <small>Gagnep.</small> – Vietnam *''Curculigo crassifolia'' {{small|(Baker) Hook.f.}} *''Curculigo disticha'' <small>Gagnep.</small> – Vietnam *''Curculigo ensifolia'' <small>R.Br.</small> – Australia *''Curculigo erecta'' <small>Lauterb.</small> – Philippines, Sumatra, New Guinea, Solomon Islands *''Curculigo fabrei'' {{small|Hul}} *''Curculigo fakimensis'' {{small|(Odyuo, D.K.Roy & Khamdi) Christenh. & Byng}} *''Curculigo gracilis'' {{small|(Kurz) Wall. ex Hook.f.}} *''Curculigo janarthanamii'' <small>R.D. Gore & S.P.Gaikwad</small> – India<ref>Gore & S.P.Gaikwad (2018) ''Phytotaxa'' 357(1): 72.</ref> *''Curculigo latifolia'' {{small|Dryand. ex W.T.Aiton}} *''Curculigo maharashtrensis'' <small>M.R.Almeida & S.Yadav</small> – Maharashtra *''Curculigo maheensis'' {{small|(F.Friedmann) Christenh. & Byng}} *''Curculigo oligantha'' {{small|(C.E.C.Fisch.) Bennet & Raizada}} *''Curculigo orchioides'' <small>Gaertn.</small> – China, Japan, Indian Subcontinent, Papuasia, Micronesia *''Curculigo pilosa'' <small>(Schumach. & Thonn.) Engl.</small> – tropical Africa, Madagascar *''Curculigo prainiana'' {{small|(Deb) Bennet & Raizada}} *''Curculigo racemosa'' <small>Ridl.</small> – Borneo *''Curculigo rhizophylla'' {{small|(Baker) T.Durand & Schinz}} *''Curculigo sabui'' <small>S.P. Gaikwad & Gore</small> – India<ref>S.P.Gaikwad & Gore (2019) ''Nordic J. Bot.'' 37(7)-e02340: 2.</ref> *''Curculigo savantwadiensis'' <small>M.R.Almeida & S.Yadav</small> – Maharashtra *''Curculigo scorzonerifolia'' <small>(Lam.) Baker</small> – southern Mexico, Central America, West Indies, northern South America *''Curculigo seychellensis'' <small>Bojer ex Baker</small> – Seychelles *''Curculigo sinensis'' <small>S.C.Chen</small> – China (Yunnan) *''Curculigo tonkinensis'' <small>Gagnep.</small> – Vietnam *''Curculigo trichocarpa'' {{small|(Wight) Bennet & Raizada}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{Wikispecies-inline}} *{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2707264}}
Category:Curculigo Category:Asparagales genera Category:Pantropical flora Category:Taxa named by Joseph Gaertner