''Costus'' is a group of

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

perennial plants in the family Costaceae, described by Linnaeus as a genus in 1753. It was formerly known as ''Hellenia'' after the Finnish botanist

Carl Niclas von Hellens Carl Niclas von Hellens (1 August 1745 – 26 January 1820) was a Finnish botanist. Life He was born Carl Niclas Hellenius in Kärkölä and studied at the Royal Academy of Turku from 1764. He studied under Pehr Kalm and Pehr Adrian Gadd. He was ...

. It is widespread through tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> ''Costus'' is often characterized and distinguished from relatives such as '' Zingiber'' (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. ''

Costus spectabilis ''Costus spectabilis'', commonly known as the yellow trumpet, is an African, gregarious species of herb; low and perennial, it is found from Sierra Leone to Sudan to as far south as Angola and Zimbabwe. Species habit and description It produce ...

'' is the floral emblem of Nigeria; its flowers are represented (erroneously in red instead of yellow color) on its coat of arms. It is important not to confuse ''Costus speciosus'', ''C. spectabilis'' etc. with the herb known by the common name "

costus ''Costus'' is a group of herbaceous perennial plants in the family Costaceae, described by Linnaeus as a genus in 1753. It was formerly known as ''Hellenia'' after the Finnish botanist Carl Niclas von Hellens. It is widespread through tropica ...

". Some species are of importance to

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

s, such as

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

s of the

restricted demon ''Notocrypta curvifascia'', the restricted demon, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. ''N. curvifascia'' is commonly found in many regions of temperate and tropical East Asia, Indonesia, and the Indian subcontinent. Among butterf ...

(''Notocrypta curvifascia'') which feed on ''

Costus speciosus ''Cheilocostus speciosus'', or crêpe ginger, is a species of flowering plant in the family Costaceae. Some botanists have now revived the synonym '' Hellenia speciosa'' for this species. It is native to southeast Asia and surrounding regions ...

'' (crêpe ginger). The crêpe ginger is also a source of

diosgenin Diosgenin, a phytosteroid sapogenin, is the product of hydrolysis by acids, strong bases, or enzymes of saponins, extracted from the tubers of ''Dioscorea'' wild yam species, such as the Kokoro. The sugar-free (aglycone) product of such hydrolys ...

, a compound used for the commercial production of various

steroid A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and a ...

s, such as

progesterone Progesterone (P4) is an endogenous steroid and progestogen sex hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of humans and other species. It belongs to a group of steroid hormones called the progestogens and is the m ...

. In Trinidad and Tobago, a mix of ''

Costus scaber ''Costus'' is a group of herbaceous perennial plants in the family Costaceae, described by Linnaeus as a genus in 1753. It was formerly known as ''Hellenia'' after the Finnish botanist Carl Niclas von Hellens. It is widespread through tropica ...

'' 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.Aweke, G., 2007. ''Costus'' afer Ker Gawl. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). Prota 11(1): Medicinal plants/Plantes médicinales 1. D-Rom PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands

Species

; 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'', '' Amomum'', ''

Caulokaempferia ''Caulokaempferia'' is a group of plants in the ginger family described as a genus in 1964. The genus is native to China, the Himalayas, and Indochina (especially Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially th ...

'', ''

Cheilocostus ''Cheilocostus'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Costaceae, with the type species '' C. speciosus''. Databases are currently (September 2020) inconsistent, with some botanists preferring to place the five species in the genus '' Hell ...

'', ''

Chamaecostus ''Chamaecostus'' is a group of 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 * '' Chamaecostus curcumoi ...

'', ''

Dimerocostus ''Dimerocostus'' is a group of 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 Hemisphere, with ...

'', ''

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 in both cases. A ...

'', '' Renealmia'', ''

Tapeinochilos ''Tapeinochilos'' is a group of plants in the Costaceae described as a genus in 1869. It is native to Queensland, Papuasia, and the Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania bet ...

'', etc.

Gallery

File:Costus guanaiensis Rusby - Latin America, West Indies.jpg, ''Costus guanaiensis'' File:Costus malortieanus H.Wendl. - Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras.jpg, ''Costus malortieanus'' File:Costus productus Gleason ex Maas - Peru.jpg, ''Costus productus'' File:Costus spiralis (Jacq.) Roscoe - trop South America.jpg, ''Costus spiralis'' File:Costus stenophyllus Standl. + L.O.Williams - Costa Rica.jpg, ''Costus stenophyllus'' File:Hellenia speciosa - Congo Rep, Cameroon, Gabon.jpg, ''Costus tapenbeckianus''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q133082 Zingiberales genera