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Species
Channa
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Flowering class: Monocot Habit: Herb
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Cheilocostus speciosus or (syn. Costus speciosus) or crêpe ginger is possibly the best known cultivated species of the genus Costus. This plant is native to southeast Asia and surrounding regions, from India to China to Queensland, It is especially common on the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is also reportedly naturalized in Mauritius, Réunion, Fiji, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Belize, Melanesia, Micronesia, and the West Indies.[2][3]
Description[edit]
Cheilocostus speciosus differs from the common ginger by having only one row of spirally arranged leaves. The species reproduces vegetatively by rhizome, and birds disperse the seeds when they feed on the fruits.
This plant is cultivated in India for its medicinal uses, and is cultivated elsewhere as an ornamental. In some areas Cheilocostus speciosus is introduced and has become an invasive species.
Habitat[edit]
The habitat where this species is found is roadside ditches and low lying areas in the forest. The flowering season starts after the rainy season, from October to December.
Human relevance[edit]
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.
Cheilocostus speciosus has a large number of common names in many languages, including isebsab' (Palauan); keu, kemuk or keumul (Bengali); keukand (Hindi); thebu (Sinhala); pakarmula (Gujarati); pushkarmula (Marathi and Sanskrit); jom lakhuti (Assamese); kostam (Tamil); "Kosta" in Kannada; and "Kostamu" in Telugu.
Gallery[edit]
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Costus speciosus in Basse Terre, Guadeloupe.
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Costus speciosus in Hawaii.
References[edit]
- ^ "Cheilocostus speciosus (J.König) C.Specht". The Plant List. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
- ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Hellenia speciosa
- ^ Pacific Island Invasive Species
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cheilocostus_speciosus&oldid=653291969 |
United States
Origin: Exotic
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Costus+speciosus |
Medicinal.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | eFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200028360 |
"
Global Distribution
Indo-Malesia
Indian distribution
State - Kerala, District/s: All Districts
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Guangdong, Guangxi, Taiwan, Yunnan [Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Australia].
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | eFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200028360 |
Depth range based on 6 specimens in 5 taxa.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 1 sample.
Environmental ranges
Depth range (m): 0.2 - 9
Temperature range (°C): 26.857 - 26.857
Nitrate (umol/L): 0.462 - 0.462
Salinity (PPS): 34.532 - 34.532
Oxygen (ml/l): 4.572 - 4.572
Phosphate (umol/l): 0.380 - 0.380
Silicate (umol/l): 2.568 - 2.568
Graphical representation
Depth range (m): 0.2 - 9
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.
License | http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Ocean Biogeographic Information System |
Source | http://www.iobis.org/mapper/?taxon_id=776299 |
Himalaya (Nepal, Sikkim), south to Ceylon, Indo-China, Malaysia to New Guinea, Taiwan.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | eFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=110&taxon_id=200028360 |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records:682
Specimens with Sequences:574
Specimens with Barcodes:527
Species:29
Species With Barcodes:29
Public Records:330
Public Species:28
Public BINs:46
400-700 m
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | eFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=110&taxon_id=200028360 |