Crepe ginger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crêpe ginger |
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| Cheilocostus speciosus from Tortuguero, Costa Rica | |
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| Wild Cheilocostus speciosus from Bukidnon, Philippines | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Cheilocostus
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speciosus
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| Synonyms | |
many more |
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Cheilocostus speciosus, or crêpe ginger, is a species of flowering plants 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, from India to China to Queensland, It is especially common on the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is also reportedly naturalized in Mauritius, Réunion, Fiji, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Belize, Melanesia, Micronesia, and the West Indies. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental.
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Description
Cheilocostus speciosus and other members of the Costaceae differ from gingers by having only one row of spirally arranged leaves. The species reproduces vegetatively by rhizome, and birds disperse the seeds when they feed on the fruits.
This plant is cultivated in South Asia and Southeast Asia for its medicinal uses, and is cultivated elsewhere as an ornamental. In some areas Cheilocostus speciosus is introduced and has become an invasive species.
Habitat
The habitat where this species is found is roadside ditches and low-lying areas in tropical forests. Flowering starts after onset of the rainy season.
Human relevance
The plant has many historical uses in Ayurveda, where the rhizome has been used to treat fever, rash, asthma, bronchitis, and intestinal worms. It is used to treat kidney problems and other urinary problems in Mizo Traditional Medicine. It was used as a traditional medicine by Malays when evil spirits have possessed a body, as well as for the treatment of high fever, smallpox and as a purgative.
Cheilocostus speciosus has a large number of common names in many languages, including isebsab (Palauan); keu, kemuk or keumul (Bengali); keukand (Hindi); thebu (Sinhala); pakarmula (Gujarati); pushkarmula (Marathi and Sanskrit); jom lakhuti (Assamese); kostam (Tamil); Kosta (Kannada); Kostamu (Telugu); Okchak Khombi (Manipur) sumbul (Mizo); setawar (Malay).
Gallery
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Bud of Cheilocostus speciosus
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Leaf of Cheilocostus speciosus from back side
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Transformation of crêpe ginger from Flower to seeds
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Flowers of crêpe ginger
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Seeds of crêpe ginger
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Bract of crêpe ginger after seeds are being extracted
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Inflorescence of crêpe ginger after the flowers died
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New leaf of crêpe ginger
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Seeds of crêpe ginger
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Seeds of crêpe ginger
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Flower at Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
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Flower & leaves at Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
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Cheilocostus speciosus in Basse Terre, Guadeloupe.
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Cheilocostus speciosus in Hawaii.
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Rhizome of crêpe ginger
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New buds after winter
