Scientific Name Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. Family Amaryllidaceae Used Part Tuber Distribution Area This small herb found in India in the sub- tropical Himalayas from Kumaon eastwards and in the western ghats from Konakan southwards. Common Uses . The turberous roots are medicinal. They are collected when the plants are two years old, washed and freed from rootlets, sliced by a wooden knife and dried in shade. They are slightly bitter and mucilaginous and are considered tonic, alternative, demulcent, diuretic and restorative. They are usually administered in combination with aromatics and bitters in piles, diarrhoea, jaundice and asthma, and used as poultice for itch and skin diseases.