Costus spicatus

Spiked spiralflag ginger; Indian head ginger
	Costus spicatus in Singapore
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Zingiberales
Family:	Costaceae
Genus:	Costus
Species:	C. spicatus
Binomial name
	Costus spicatus; Jacq.
Synonyms
	Alpinia spicata; Costus cylindricus;

Costus spicatus, also known as spiked spiralflag ginger or Indian head ginger, is a species of herbaceous plant in the Costaceae family (also sometimes placed in Zingiberaceae).[1]

Distribution

Costus spicatus is native to the Caribbean (including Dominica, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Martinique, and Puerto Rico).[1][2][3]

Description

Costus spicatus leaves grow to a length of approximately 1 ft (30 cm) and a width of approximately 4 in (10 cm). It produces a short red cone, from which red-orange flowers emerge one at a time.[4] In botanical literature, Costus woodsonii has often been misidentified as Costus spicatus.[5]

Cultivation

Costus spicatus will grow in full sun if it is kept moist. It reaches a maximum height of about 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 m).[4]

Ecology

Costus spicatus can develop a symbiotic partnership with certain species of ants (often only a single species of ant will be compatible). The ants are provided with a food source (nectar in C. spicatus flowers) as well as a place to construct a nest. In turn, the ants protect developing seeds from herbivorous insects.[4]

Medicinal use

In Dominican folk medicine, an herbal tea made from the leaves of C. spicatus is used for diabetes (hyperglycemia). However, a 2009 study concluded that C. spicatus tea "...had no efficacy in the treatment of obesity-induced hyperglycemia."[6]

References

"Costus spicatus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
United States Department of Agriculture. "PLANTS Profile for Costus spicatus (spiked spiralflag)". USDA Plants. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Costus spicatus
Top Tropicals Botanical Garden (2010). "Costus spicatus, Alpinia spicata, Spiked Spiralflag". Retrieved 2010-12-25.
George W. Staples and Derral R. Herbst. 2005.
Keller AC, Vandebroek I, Liu Y, Balick MJ, Kronenberg F, Kennelly EJ, Brillantes AM (January 2009). "Costus spicatus tea failed to improve diabetic progression in C57BLKS/J db/db mice, a model of type 2 diabetes mellitus". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 121 (2): 248–54. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.10.025. PMC 2643842. PMID 19027842.

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[ARS-1] "Costus spicatus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-12-25.

[USDA-2] United States Department of Agriculture. "PLANTS Profile for Costus spicatus (spiked spiralflag)". USDA Plants. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-12-25.

[3] Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Costus spicatus

[TTBG-4] Top Tropicals Botanical Garden (2010). "Costus spicatus, Alpinia spicata, Spiked Spiralflag". Retrieved 2010-12-25.

[5] George W. Staples and Derral R. Herbst. 2005.

[6] Keller AC, Vandebroek I, Liu Y, Balick MJ, Kronenberg F, Kennelly EJ, Brillantes AM (January 2009). "Costus spicatus tea failed to improve diabetic progression in C57BLKS/J db/db mice, a model of type 2 diabetes mellitus". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 121 (2): 248–54. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.10.025. PMC 2643842. PMID 19027842.