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Useful Tropical Plants

(Redirected from Cheilocostus speciosus)

Hellenia speciosa

(J.Koenig) S.R.Dutta

Costaceae

+ Synonyms

Amomum arboretum Lour.

Amomum hirsutum Lam.

Banksea speciosa J.König

Cardamomum arboretum (Lour.) Kuntze

Cheilocostus speciosus (J.König) C.D.Specht

Costus angustifolius Ker Gawl.

Costus argyrophyllus Wall.

Costus crispiflorus Stokes

Costus foeniculaceus Noronha

Costus formosanus Nakai

Costus glaber (K.Schum.) Merr.

Costus glabratus Rchb.

Costus hirsutus Blume

Costus lamingtonii F.M.Bailey

Costus loureiroi Horan.

Costus nipalensis Roscoe

Costus potierae F.Muell.

Costus sericeus Blume

Costus speciosus (J.König) Sm.

Costus vaginalis Salisb.

Hellenia grandiflora Retz.

Kaempferia speciosa (J.König) Thunb.

Planera speciosa (J.König) Giseke

Tsiana speciosa (J.König) J.F.Gmel.

Common Name:

Hellenia speciosa
Flowering plant
Photograph by: Forest and Kim Starr
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Hellenia speciosa Hellenia speciosa Hellenia speciosa Hellenia speciosa Hellenia speciosa Hellenia speciosa

General Information

Hellenia speciosus is an erect, occasionally branched, herbaceous perennial plant growing up to 3 metres tall from a stout, creeping, tuberous rootstock[
283
Title
Medicinal Plants in Vietnam
Publication
 
Author
Nguyen Van Dan & Doan Thi Nhu
Publisher
World Health Organisation
Year
1989
ISBN
92 9061 101 4
Description
An excellent book, giving information on over 200 plants, their medicinal compounds and applications.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal and food use. It is sometimes cultivated for medicinal purposes in India and is commonly grown as an ornamental in many areas of the tropics[
490
Title
Flora Vitiensis Nova
Publication
 
Author
Smith. A.C.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden; Hawaii
Year
1979
ISBN
 
Description
A comprehensive flora of Fiji, often showing plant uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

656
Title
Monocotyledons and Gymnosperms of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Vol. 52
Author
Acevedo-Rodríguez P. & Strong M.T. (Editors)
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution; Washington.
Year
2005
ISBN
0097-1618
Description
A treatment of the monocots and gymnosperms growing in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It can be downloaded from the Internet.

Range

E. Asia - China, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, northern Australia.

Habitat

Disturbed moist to wet thickets and roadside banks at elevations from 50 - 200 metres where it is naturalized in Puerto Rico[
656
Title
Monocotyledons and Gymnosperms of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Vol. 52
Author
Acevedo-Rodríguez P. & Strong M.T. (Editors)
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution; Washington.
Year
2005
ISBN
0097-1618
Description
A treatment of the monocots and gymnosperms growing in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
HabitPerennial
Height2.50 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details


Prefers a position in some shade in a moist, fertile soil[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].
The plant has escaped from cultivation and become naturalised in a number of areas, spreading by means of its bird-dispersed seeds[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].

Edible Uses

The rhizome is eaten cooked[
2
Title
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Hedrick. U. P.
Publisher
Dover Publications
Year
1972
ISBN
0-486-20459-6
Description
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
]. Occasionally eaten[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].

Tender young shoots - cooked[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. Boiled or steamed then eaten as a vegetable[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].

Fruits - occasionally eaten[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].

Medicinal

The rhizome is acrid, anthelmintic, aphrodisiac, astringent, bitter, depurative, expectorant, febrifuge, purgative, refrigerant and tonic[
646
Title
New Crops FactSheets
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/default.html
Publisher
Purdue University
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A website dedicated to giving information on potential new agricultural crops.
]. It is used in the treatment of conditions with a burning sensation, constipation, leprosy, worm infection, skin diseases, fever, asthma, bronchitis, inflammations and anaemia[
646
Title
New Crops FactSheets
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/default.html
Publisher
Purdue University
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A website dedicated to giving information on potential new agricultural crops.
].

The sap of the leaves and young stems is used medicinally[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

The rhizomes yield steroidal saponins that yield diosgenin and tigogenin on hydrolysis[
283
Title
Medicinal Plants in Vietnam
Publication
 
Author
Nguyen Van Dan & Doan Thi Nhu
Publisher
World Health Organisation
Year
1989
ISBN
92 9061 101 4
Description
An excellent book, giving information on over 200 plants, their medicinal compounds and applications.
].

Other Uses

The plant is grown near houses as a protection from lightning[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

The plant can be used as raw material for diosgenin extraction, which is used in the pharmaceutical industry[
283
Title
Medicinal Plants in Vietnam
Publication
 
Author
Nguyen Van Dan & Doan Thi Nhu
Publisher
World Health Organisation
Year
1989
ISBN
92 9061 101 4
Description
An excellent book, giving information on over 200 plants, their medicinal compounds and applications.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Hellenia+speciosa&redir=Cheilocostus+speciosus>

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