COSTUS SPECIOSUS

COSTUS SPECIOSUS











Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms

(unranked): Monocots

(unranked): Commelinids

Order: Zingiberales

Family: Costaceae

Genus: Costus

Species: C. speciosus

Binomial name

Costus speciosus

(J.Konig) Sm.

Costus speciosus or crape ginger is possibly the best known cultivated
species of the genus Costus. This plant is native to southeast Asia,
especially on the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. Costus differs
from the common ginger by having only one row of spirally arranged
leaves.

The species reproduces vegetatively by rhizome and birds disperse seeds when they feed on the fruits.

While it is native to many Pacific Islands, it is an introduced invasive
species on others, including the Cook Islands, Fiji, and Hawaii. It is
cultivated in India for its medicinal uses and elsewhere as an
ornamental.

The plant has many historical uses in Ayurveda, where the rhizome has
been used to treat fever, rash, asthma, bronchitis, and intestinal
worms. It is mentioned in the Kama Sutra as an ingredient in a cosmetic
to be used on the eyelashes to increase sexual attractiveness.

C. speciosus has a large number of common names in many languages,
including isebsab (Palauan), keukand (Hindi), pakarmula (Gujarati),
pushkarmula (Marathi and Sanskrit),Jom Lakhuti (Assamese) and kostam
(Tamil).