Kaempferia galanga L. - Zingiberaceae - resurrection lily, Gewürzlilie

Low (stemless) perennial, native to Indonesia, cultivated in Southeast Asia; leaves 2(-3), deep green, almost round (8-15cm across), horizontally spreading, lying flat on the ground; flowers 6-12, from the centre of the plant between the leaves, white with purple marked lip, up to 2.5cm in diameter; rootstock tuberous, aromatic; root fibres fleshy, cylindric, not aromatic.

„The plant is used as a herb in cooking in Indonesia, where it is called kencur, and especially in Javanese cuisine and Balinese cuisine. Beras kencur, which combines dried K. galanga powder with rice flour, is a particularly popular jamu herbal drink. Its leaves are also used in the Malay rice dish, nasi ulam…
The rhizomes of the plant, which contain essential oils, have been used in Chinese medicine as a decoction or powder for treating indigestion, colds, pectoral and abdominal pains, headache and toothache.“
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaempferia_galanga

The major constituents of the essential oil of rhizomes of Kaempferia galanga L. growing in Malaysia were ethyl trans-p-methoxycinnamate (51%), ethyl cinnamate (16%), pentadecane (9%), 1,8-cineole (5.7%), γ-car-3-ene (3.3%) and borneol (2.7%).
[Compositon of the essential oil of rhizomes of kaempferia galanga L., Wong, K.C., Ong, K.S., Lim, C.L., Flavour and fragrance journal, Vol.7(5), 1992, 263-266]

The major chemical constituents of the volatile oil of dried rhizome of Kaempferia galanga (steam distillation) were identified as ethyl-p-methoxycinnamate (31%), methylcinnamate (23%), carvone (11%), 1,8-cineole (9%) and pentadecane (6%).
[Chemical components and biological activities of volatile oil of Kaempferia galanga Linn., Tewtrakul, S., Yuenyongsawad, S., Kummee, S., Atsawajaruwan, L., Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol, 27(suppl 2), 2005, 503-597]
http://www.sjst.psu.ac.th/journal/thai-herbs-pdf/06-Kaempferia-galanga-Linn.pdf

„Extracts of KG have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, nematicidal, mosquito repellent, larvicidal, vasorelaxant, sedative, antineoplastic, antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, antiallergic and wound healing properties.“
[Phytochemistry and medicinal properties of Kaempferia galanga L. (Zingiberaceae) extracts. Muhammad Ihtisham Umar, Mohammad Zaini Bin Asmawi, Amirin Sadikun, Rabia Altaf, Muhammad Adnan Iqbal, African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Vol. 5(14), 2011, 1638-1647]
http://www.academicjournals.org/article/article1380804719_Umar%20et%20al.pdf

Redouté, P.J., Les Liliacées, vol.3, t.144 (1805-1816) [P.J. Redouté]
http://plantgenera.org/species.php?id_species=573639