Costus spiralis
(Jacq.) Roscoe
Spiral flag ginger, Scarlet costus
(c) saul_olpado, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) saul_olpado, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) saul_olpado, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Buds, Fruit, Stem
The buds (particularly of the 'strawberry bud' cultivar), young stems, and fruit are edible.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows in rainforest and marshy areas up to 1,200 m above sea level.
Asia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, North America, Panama, SE Asia, South America, USA*,
How to Identify
A herb. It grows 3.5 m tall. It has rhizomes. The stems are slightly woody at the base. They are twisted into spirals. The leaves are narrowly oval and 8-43 cm long by 5-14 cm wide. They taper to a short tip and the base is rounded. They can be smooth or hairy on both surfaces. The flowers are in an oval head 4-11 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. The bracts are broadly oval and purple to red. The flowers are tube shaped and 6 cm long. They are pink to red. The fruit is an oval capsule 1.5 cm long. It is pink and has many black seeds.
How to Grow
Plants can be grown from seeds, cuttings of from the rhizomes.
Names & Synonyms
Pacing spiral
References (4)
- Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 1094
- Torre, de la, L., et al, 2008, Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador. Herbario QCA. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. p 296
- www.colecionandofrutas.org
- www.towenmounttropicals.com.au/Gallery/ginger/costustapeinochilos.html
