| Spiked Spiralflag Ginger; Indian Head Ginger | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | 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 Spirlaflag Ginger or Indian Head Ginger, is a species of herbaceous plant in the Costaceae family (also sometimes placed in Zingiberaceae).[1]
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C. spicatus is native to South America and the Caribbean, (including Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Puerto Rico).[1][2]
C. spicatus leaves grow to a length of approximately 1 foot and a width of approximately 4 inches. It produces a short red cone, from which red-orange flowers emerge one at a time.[3]
C. spicatus will grow in full sun if it is kept moist. It reaches a maximum height of about 6 to 7 feet.[3]
C. 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.[3]
In Dominican folk medicine, herbal tea made from the leaves of C. spicatus is used to treat diabetes (hyperglycemia). However, a 2009 study concluded that this treatment "...had no efficacy in the treatment of obesity-induced hyperglycemia."[4]