Curculigo latifolia Dryand

Hi there all plant lovers
This blog is especially for plant enthusiast like myself. I am a senior lecturer in one of Malaysia’s local uni, specializing in plant botany, systematics and biotechnology (tissue culture and molecular biology).
The main aim of this blog is to share the wonderful life of plants and its diversity, hopefully we can work together to conserve and protect all plants from destruction.
For, my first post, i would like to introduce to you to Curculigo latifolia Dryand (Hypoxidaceae) or locally known as lemba, lumbah-lumbah or nyiur puyuh.
When i was still a child, we used to collect the fruits and you can find this plant anywhere. It wasn’t until now that we realize that the fruit is considered miraculous because it can change your taste bud i.e. if you eat the fruit, whatever you eat after that will all taste sweet, even the most sour citrus. It is because the fruit content a sweet protein called curculin which is 200 times sweeter than sucrose but having far less calories.
At the moment, our research team are investigating the plant comprehensively which include the cultivation, and the medical properties of anti-diabetic and anti cancer.
For those who know this plant, the next time you see it, plant one in a pot at your house and substitute your sugar with the fruit.