Costus pulverulentus

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Costus pulverulentus
Costus pulverulentus.jpg
Inflorescence
Costus pulverulentus2.jpg
Habit
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Costaceae
Genus: Costus
Species:
C. pulverulentus
Binomial name
Costus pulverulentus
Synonyms [1]
  • Costus formosusC.V.Morton
  • Costus laxusPetersen
  • Costus ruberC.Wright ex Griseb.
  • Costus sanguineusDonn.Sm.

Costus pulverulentus, the red cigar or spiral ginger (a name it shares with other members of its family), is a species of flowering plant in the family Costaceae. [2] It is native to Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, and it has been introduced to Cuba and Florida. [1] [3] It is invasive in Hawaii. [4]

A rhizomatous perennial reaching 4 to 6 ft (1.2 to 1.8 m), Costus pulverulentus is typically found in wet tropical areas. [2] It is used as an ornamental, and there are cultivars, including 'Serena', 'Pink Lips', and 'Purple Passion'. [2] [5] [4]

Costus pulverulentus has a number of traditional medicinal applications. Ngäbe curanderos in Panama sell it to women suffering from pain after giving birth. [6] In Ecuador, Costus pulverulentus is traditionally macerated and placed on snakebites by members of the Tsáchila people. [7] In Tlanchinol, Hidalgo, Mexico, a Costus pulverulentus infusion is made for people afflicted with kidney problems and fever. [8]

Related Research Articles

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Ethnobotany simply means investigating plants used by primitive societies in various parts of the world.

<i>Costus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Costus is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants in the family Costaceae, erected by Linnaeus in 1753. It is widespread through tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

<i>Kaempferia galanga</i> Species of flowering plant

Kaempferia galanga, commonly known as kencur, aromatic ginger, sand ginger, cutcherry, is a monocotyledonous plant in the ginger family, and one of four plants called galangal. It is found primarily in open areas in Indonesia, southern China, Taiwan, Cambodia, and India, but is also widely cultivated throughout Southeast Asia.

<i>Costus chartaceus</i> Species of flowering plant

Costus chartaceus, commonly known as the Christmas costus, is a perennial plant with a red inflorescence first described by Paul Maas in 1972. It is native to Colombia and Ecuador but cultivated as an ornamental in other regions. It is not winter hardy.

Ficus maxima is a fig tree which is native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America south to Paraguay. Figs belong to the family Moraceae. The specific epithet maxima was coined by Scottish botanist Philip Miller in 1768; Miller's name was applied to this species in the Flora of Jamaica, but it was later determined that Miller's description was actually of the species now known as Ficus aurea. To avoid confusion, Cornelis Berg proposed that the name should be conserved for this species. Berg's proposal was accepted in 2005.

<i>Boerhavia diffusa</i> Species of flowering plant

Boerhavia diffusa is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family which is commonly known as punarnava, red spiderling, spreading hogweed, or tarvine. It is taken in herbal medicine for pain relief and other uses. The leaves of Boerhavia diffusa are often used as a green vegetable in many parts of India.

<i>Costus spicatus</i> Species of flowering plant

Costus spicatus, also known as spiked spiralflag ginger or Indian head ginger, is a species of herbaceous plant in the Costaceae family.

<i>Canarium strictum</i> Species of flowering plant

Canarium strictum, known by common names including black dhup, Raal, Raal dhup and black dammar, is a species of tree in the family Burseraceae. It is known for the medicinal and commercial use of the resin it exudates, called black dammar.

Tabernaemontana sananho is a tropical tree species in the family Apocynaceae known as lobo sanango. Lobo sanango grows in the Amazon Basin of northern South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heteroblasty</span> Difference in plant characteristics in juveniles vs. adults

Heteroblasty is the significant and abrupt change in form and function, that occurs over the lifespan of certain plants. Characteristics affected include internode length and stem structure as well as leaf form, size and arrangement. It should not be confused with seasonal heterophylly, where early and late growth in a season are visibly different. This change is different from a homoblastic change which is a gradual change or little change at all, so that there is little difference between the juvenile and adult stages. Some characteristics affected by heteroblastic change include the distance between successive leaves and stem structure as well as leaf form, size and arrangement. Heteroblasty is found in many plant families as well as only some species within a genus. This random spread of heteroblastic plants across species is believed to be caused by convergent evolution.

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<i>Costus malortieanus</i> Species of flowering plant

Costus malortieanus, known as Stepladder Plant, Spiral Ginger, or Spiral Flag, is a species of perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the family Costaceae. It is native to Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras. Costus malortieanus is often cultivated as an ornamental plant.

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<i>Costus woodsonii</i> Species of plant

Costus woodsonii, the red button ginger or scarlet spiral flag, is a species of flowering plant in the family Costaceae, native to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia. A rhizomatous geophytic perennial, it is recommended for coastal gardens, borders, containers, and general wet, tropical garden applications. It is more widely cultivated than other species of Costus. Costus woodsonii was first described by Paul Maas in 1972 and is named for Robert Woodson of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

<i>Costus comosus</i> Species of plant

Costus comosus, known as red tower ginger, is a species of plant native to South Mexico to Ecuador.

Costus scaber is a species of plant in the Costaceae family. Its native range is Mexico to Tropical America.

<i>Costus productus</i> Species of plant

Costus productus, known as orange tulip ginger, dwarf orange ginger, or green mountain spiral flag, is a species of plant in the Costaceae family. Costus productus is native to South Colombia and Peru.

<i>Costus pictus</i> Species of plant

Costus pictus, known as painted spiral ginger or spotted spiral ginger, is a species of plant in the Costaceae family. Its native range is Mexico to Central America.

References

  1. 1 2 "Costus pulverulentus C.Presl". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Costus Species, Red Cigar, Spiral Ginger". Dave's Garden. MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. 2021. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  3. Wunderlin, R. P.; Hansen, B. F.; Franck, A. R.; Essig, F. B. "Costus pulverulentus". Atlas of Florida Plants. Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  4. 1 2 Skinner, Dave (2023). "Gingersrus Database Taxon ID 3353 Costus pulverulentus". gingersrus.com. Le Jardin Ombragé GingersRus.com. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  5. "Costus pulverulentus 'Serena'". The Royal Horticultural Society. 2024. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  6. Joly, L. G.; Guerra, S.; Séptimo, R.; Solís, P. N.; Correa, M.; Gupta, M.; Levy, S.; Sandberg, F. (1987). "Ethnobotanical inventory of medicinal plants used by the Guaymi Indians in Western Panama. Part I.". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 20 (2): 145–171. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(87)90085-7. PMID   3657246.
  7. Kvist, Lars Peter; Holm-Nielsen, Lauritz B. (1987). "Ethnobotanical aspects of lowland Ecuador". Opera Botanica. 92: 83–107.
  8. Andrade-Cetto, Adolfo (2009). "Ethnobotanical study of the medicinal plants from Tlanchinol, Hidalgo, México". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 122 (1): 163–171. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.12.008. PMID   19146936 . Retrieved 4 August 2024.