''Costus'' is a genus of herbaceous

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

plants in the family

Costaceae Costaceae, known as the ''Costus'' family or spiral gingers, is a family of pantropical monocots. It belongs to the order Zingiberales, which contains horticulturally and economically important plants such as the banana (Musaceae), bird-of-parad ...

, erected by

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

in 1753. It is widespread through tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. ''Costus'' is often characterized and distinguished from relatives such as ''

Zingiber ''Zingiber'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Zingiberaceae. It is native to China, the Indian subcontinent, New Guinea, and Southeast Asia, especially Thailand. It contains the true gingers, plants grown the world over for their culi ...

'' (true ginger) by its spiraling stems. The genus as a whole is thus often called spiral gingers, but this can also refer to '' C. barbatus'' specifically. It is important not to confuse ''Costus scaber'', ''C. spectabilis'' etc. with the herb known by the common name "

costus ''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. ''Costus'' is often characterized and dist ...

". '' Costus spectabilis'' is the floral emblem of Nigeria; its flowers are represented (erroneously in red instead of yellow color) on its coat of arms. ''

Costus productus ''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. ''Costus productus'' var. ''strigos ...

'' and '' Costus guanaiensis'' are among the species of ''Costus'' with edible flowers. Other ''Costus'' species' flowers have also been determined to be edible. Some ''Costus'' species have traditional medicinal and veterinary uses. For example, in Trinidad and Tobago, a mix of '' Costus scaber'' juice and crushed ''

Renealmia alpinia ''Renealmia alpinia'' is a flowering plant species native to the Americas, where it grows from southern Mexico through much of South America, though not in the Southern Cone. It can also be found on several Caribbean islands. In Quechua it is ...

'' berries is used to treat dogs bitten by snakes. ''Costus'' naturally hybridizes, and commercial hybrids have also been produced.

Species

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

recognises 115 species, as follows: ; Formerly placed here Numerous other species have been called ''Costus'' over the years, but are now regarded as members of other genera. Such genera include ''

Alpinia ''Alpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Species are native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where they occur in tropical and subtropical climates.Amomum ''Amomum'' is a genus of plants containing about 111 species native to China, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Queensland. It includes several species of cardamom. Plants of this genus are remarkable for their pungency and ...

'', ''

Caulokaempferia ''Caulokaempferia'' is a genus of plants in the ginger family, first described in 1964. The genus is native to southeastern China, the eastern Himalayas, and Indochina (especially Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand an ...

'', '' Cheilocostus'', ''

Chamaecostus ''Chamaecostus'' is a group of flowering plants in the Costaceae described as a genus in 2006. It is endemic to South America. ; Species * '' Chamaecostus congestiflorus'' - Venezuela, N Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana * '' Chamaecostu ...

'', ''

Dimerocostus ''Dimerocostus'' is a group of flowering plants in the Costaceae described as a genus in 1891. It is native to Central and South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisp ...

'', ''

Hellenia ''Hellenia'' is a genus of plants in the Costaceae described as a genus with this name in 1791. It is native to Southeast Asia, southern China, the Indian Subcontinent, New Guinea, and Queensland. The type species was "''H. grandiflora''" Retz. ...

'', ''

Paracostus ''Paracostus'' is a group of plants in the family Costaceae described as a genus in 2006. It is native to Borneo and to tropical Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 ...

'', ''

Renealmia ''Renealmia'' is a plant genus in the family Zingiberaceae. Its members are native to tropical Africa and tropical America (Latin America and the West Indies). In Peru, fruits and tubers are sources of indigenous dyes. and indigenous medical trea ...

'', ''

Tapeinochilos ''Tapeinochilos'' is a group of plants in the Costaceae described as a genus in 1869. It is native to Queensland, Papuasia, and the Indonesian Province of Maluku Maluku may refer to: Places * Maluku Islands, an archipelago that is part of Indo ...

'', etc.

Gallery

File:Starr 070306-5217 Costus comosus.jpg, ''Costus comosus'' File:Palmengarten fg20.jpg, ''Costus dubius'' File:Costus malortieanus H.Wendl. - Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras.jpg, ''Costus malortieanus'' File:Costus productus Gleason ex Maas - Peru.jpg, ''Costus productus'' File:Spiralingwer (Costus dubius).jpg, ''Costus dubius''

References

{{Authority control Zingiberales genera