- Costus igneus
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Fiery Costus 
Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Monocots (unranked): Commelinids Order: Zingiberales Family: Costaceae Genus: Costus Species: C. igneus Binomial name Costus igneus
N.E.Br.Synonyms Costus cuspidatus
Chamaecostus cuspidatus
Costus igneus, common name Fiery Costus or Spiral Flag, is a species of herbaceous plant in the Costaceae family. It is claimed[who?] to help build up insulin in the human body and is sometimes referred to as the Insulin Plant.[citation needed] This plant was grown in Americas and is becoming popular in India because of its medicinal chemicals.[citation needed] It is now accepted and used widely as an Ayurvedic medicinal herb.The plant grows very quickly. And the propagation is by stem cutting. It needs sunshine but it also grows in slightly shady areas.
This plant has large fleshy looking leaves. The undersides of these large, smooth, dark green leaves have light purple shade. The leaves are spirally arranged around the stem, forming attractive, arching clumps arising from underground rootstocks. The maximum height of these plants is about two feet. The flowers are orange in color and are beautiful, 1.5-inch diameter. Flowering occurs during the warm months. And they appear to be cone-like heads at the tips of branches.
It is also possible to consume the leaves by drying and grinding powder of the leaves.
Taxonomy
- Domain: Eukaryota () - Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Plantae () - Haeckel, 1866 - Plants
- Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae () - Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum: Tracheophyta () - Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Vascular Plants
- Subphylum: Euphyllophytina ()
- Infraphylum: Radiatopses () - Kenrick & Crane, 1997
- Class: Liliopsida () - Scopoli, 1760
- Subclass: Commelinidae () - Takhtajan, 1967
- Superorder: Zingiberanae () - Takhtajan Ex Reveal, 1992
- Order: Zingiberales () - Grisebach, 1854
- Family: Costaceae () - Nakai, 1941 - Spiralflag Family
- Subfamily: Asteroideae ()
- Tribe: Coreopsideae ()
- Genus: Costus () - Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 2. 1753. - Costus
- Specific epithet: igneus - N.E.Br.
- Botanical name: - Costus igneus N.E.Br.
References ZipcodeZoo
References
- Devi VD, Urooj A (August 2008). "Hypoglycemic potential of Morus indica. L and Costus igneus. Nak.—A preliminary study". Indian J. Exp. Biol. 46 (8): 614–616. PMID 18814491. http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/4571/1/IJEB%2046%288%29%20614-616.pdf.
- Taxonomy of Costus igneus
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