Costus spicatus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Spiked spiralflag ginger
Indian head ginger
Costus spicatus in Singapore
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Costaceae
Genus: Costus
Species:
C. spicatus
Binomial name
Costus spicatus
Jacq.
Synonyms
  • Alpinia spicata
  • Costus cylindricus

Costus spicatus, also known as spiked spiralflag ginger or Indian head ginger, is a species of herbaceous plant in the Costaceae family (also sometimes placed in Zingiberaceae).[1]

Distribution[edit]

Costus spicatus is native to the Caribbean (including Dominica, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Martinique, and Puerto Rico).[1][2][3]

Description[edit]

Costus spicatus leaves grow to a length of approximately 1 ft (30 cm) and a width of approximately 4 in (10 cm). It produces a short red cone, from which red-orange flowers emerge one at a time.[4] In botanical literature, Costus woodsonii has often been misidentified as Costus spicatus.[5]

Cultivation[edit]

Costus spicatus will grow in full sun if it is kept moist. It reaches a maximum height of about 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 m).[4]

Ecology[edit]

Costus spicatus can develop a symbiotic partnership with certain species of ants (often only a single species of ant will be compatible). The ants are provided with a food source (nectar in C. spicatus flowers) as well as a place to construct a nest. In turn, the ants protect developing seeds from herbivorous insects.[4]

Medicinal use[edit]

In Dominican folk medicine, an herbal tea made from the leaves of C. spicatus is used for diabetes (hyperglycemia). However, a 2009 study concluded that C. spicatus tea "...had no efficacy in the treatment of obesity-induced hyperglycemia."[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Costus spicatus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
  2. ^ United States Department of Agriculture. "PLANTS Profile for Costus spicatus (spiked spiralflag)". USDA Plants. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
  3. ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Costus spicatus
  4. ^ a b c Top Tropicals Botanical Garden (2010). "Costus spicatus, Alpinia spicata, Spiked Spiralflag". Retrieved 2010-12-25.
  5. ^ George W. Staples and Derral R. Herbst. 2005.
  6. ^ Keller AC, Vandebroek I, Liu Y, Balick MJ, Kronenberg F, Kennelly EJ, Brillantes AM (January 2009). "Costus spicatus tea failed to improve diabetic progression in C57BLKS/J db/db mice, a model of type 2 diabetes mellitus". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 121 (2): 248–54. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.10.025. PMC 2643842. PMID 19027842.