Hellenia speciosa
(J.Koenig) S.R.Dutta
Costaceae
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:
Flowering cultivated plant
Photograph by: Mokkie
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Flowering stem
Photograph by: Vinayaraj
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Close-up of the flower
Photograph by: Vinayaraj
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Flowering stem
Photograph by: Not known
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Root
Photograph by: Not known
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0
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 Potential | Yes |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 2.50 m |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Prefers a position in some shade in a moist, fertile soil[
].
The plant has escaped from cultivation and become naturalised in a number of areas, spreading by means of its bird-dispersed seeds[
].
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.
,
]. 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[
]. It is used in the treatment of conditions with a burning sensation, constipation, leprosy, worm infection, skin diseases, fever, asthma, bronchitis, inflammations and anaemia[
].
The sap of the leaves and young stems is used medicinally[
].
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[
].
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 -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
