Botanical Family · Zingiberales

Costaceae

Costus Family

7 speciesOrder Zingiberales7+ well-known plants

The Costaceae family (Costus Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Zingiberales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 7 species across 2 genera. Its members are predominantly herbs. Well-represented genera include Costus and Hellenia. Several members are valued in traditional medicine. Familiar examples include Blood Red Spiral Costus, Spiral Ginger and Insulin Plant.

Browse all 7 species ↓

Representative specimen · Costaceae

Typical leaf characters

ArrangementAlternate
TypeSimple
MarginVariable
VenationVariable

Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.

Typical flower & fruit

Flower symmetryVariable
InflorescenceSpike
FruitBerry

Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.

Notable members

Blood Red Spiral Costus, Oxblood GingerCostus erythrophyllusSpiral Ginger, Stepladder PlantCostus malortieanusInsulin PlantCostus pictusCostus, Cane-Reed, Crepe-Ginger, Spiral GingerCostus speciosusBamboo GingerCostus stenophyllusRed Button GingerCostus woodsoniiCrêPe GingerHellenia speciosa

All 7 species in COSTACEAE

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