Skip to main content

Crêpe ginger (Hellenia speciosa)

Dlium Crêpe ginger (Hellenia speciosa)

Crêpe ginger (Hellenia speciosa) is a plant species in Costaceae that grows upright for height of 0.5 meters to 3 meters, has a large flower, likes damp and shade in primary forests, secondary forests and teak forests on lowlands up to 1050 meters above sea level.

H. speciosa has a brownish yellow stem, the size of an adult's finger, contains a lot of water and is easily broken. The plants go upward in harmony with the tops, the leaves are green, single, short stalks and the strands extend to the lanceolate shape and are arranged in a spiral circle around the stem.







Tapered leaf tips, flat edges and blunt leaf base. The surface of the lower leaves is soft, while the upper surface is grooved. Large-sized inflorescence located at the end of the stem. Flowers are white or yellow. Egg-shaped protective leaves with pointed ends. The crown is tubular, pointed tip and green.

The pistil pops up on the starch and is white. The fruit is ovoid and red. Hard seeds, small and black. Rhizomes and seeds contain diosgenin (sapogenin steroid), tigogenin, diosin, grasillin, sitosterol and methyltryacontan. Also contains saponins, flavonoids and tannins.

Traditional Javanese treatment uses to treat swelling in the kidneys (Nephtiric edema), stomach ulcers, urinary tract infections (urinary tractus) and liver shrinkage (chirosis). All parts are used as external medicine for wounds from being bitten by snakes and insects.

Leaves are used as a medicine for eye mucous inflammation. Young leaves to nourish hair. The stem is used as a medicine for fever and dysentery. Pith stems to cool the eyes in people with smallpox.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Costaceae
Genus: Hellenia Retz. in Observ. Bot. 6: 18 (1791)
Species: Hellenia speciosa (J.Koenig) S.R.Dutta in Pleione 7: 228 (2013)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Banksea speciosa J.Koenig in A.J.Retzius, Observ. Bot. 3: 75 (1783)
Cheilocostus speciosus (J.Koenig) C.D.Specht in Taxon 55: 159 (2006)
Costus speciosus (J.Koenig) Sm. in Trans. Linn. Soc. London 1: 249 (1791)
Hellenia grandiflora Retz. (1791)
Planera speciosa (J.Koenig) Giseke in Prael. Ord. Nat. Pl.: 244 (1792)
Pyxa speciosa (J.Koenig) M.R.Almeida in Fl. Maharashtra 5A: 113 (2009)
Tsiana speciosa (J.Koenig) J.F.Gmel. in Syst. Nat., ed. 13[bis].: 9 (1791)
Kaempferia speciosa (J.Koenig) Thunb. in Fl. Jav.: 8 (1825)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Cheilocostus potierae (F.Muell.) M.G.Harr. & Zich in Telopea 14: 9 (2012)
Costus angustifolius Ker Gawl. in Bot. Reg. 8: t. 665 (1822)
Costus argyrophyllus Wall. in Numer. List: n.° 6555 G, H (1832)
Costus crispiflorus Stokes in Bot. Mat. Med. 1: 75 (1812)
Costus foeniculaceus Noronha in Verh. Batav. Genootsch. Kunsten 5(4): 12 (1790)
Costus formosanus Nakai in J. Jap. Bot. 17: 199 (1941)
Costus glaber (K.Schum.) Merr. in Enum. Philipp. Fl. Pl. 1: 246 (1924)
Costus glabratus Rchb. in J.C.Mössler, Handb. Gewächsk., ed. 2. 1: 8 (1829)
Costus hirsutus Blume in Enum. Pl. Javae 1: 61 (1827)
Costus lamingtonii F.M.Bailey in Queensland Agric. J. 3: 160 (1898)
Costus loureiroi Horan. in Prodr. Monogr. Scitam.: 38 (1862)
Costus nipalensis Roscoe in Monandr. Pl. Scitam.: t. 80 (1826)
Costus potierae F.Muell. in Fragm. 4: 164 (1864)
Costus sericeus Blume (1827)
Costus speciosus var. angustifolius Ker Gawl. (1822)
Costus speciosus var. argyrophyllus Wall. ex Baker in J.D.Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 6: 249 (1892)
Costus speciosus var. dilnavaziae M.R.Almeida & S.M.Almeida in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 96: 355 (1999)
Costus speciosus var. formosanus (Nakai) S.S.Ying in Quart. J. Chin. Forest. 21: 117 (1988)
Costus speciosus var. glaber K.Schum. in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 27: 343 (1899)
Costus speciosus var. hirsutus (Blume) K.Schum. (1899)
Costus speciosus var. leocalyx Nakai (1941)
Costus speciosus var. nipalensis (Roscoe) Baker in Fl. Brit. India 6: 250 (1892)
Costus speciosus var. sericeus (Blume) K.Schum. (1899)
Costus spicatus var. pubescens Griseb. in Fl. Brit. W. I.: 602 (1864)
Costus vaginalis Salisb. in Trans. Hort. Soc. London 1: 277 (1812)
Hellenia speciosa var. dilnavaziae (M.R.Almeida & S.M.Almeida) S.R.Dutta (2013)
Pyxa speciosa var. dilnavaziae (M.R.Almeida & S.M.Almeida) M.R.Almeida (2009)
Amomum arboreum Lour. in Fl. Cochinch.: 7 (1790)
Amomum hirsutum Lam. in Tabl. Encycl. 1: 134 (1791)
Cardamomum arboreum (Lour.) Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 685 (1891)

PUBLICATIONS

Govaerts, R., Nic Lughadha, E., Black, N., Turner, R. & Paton, A. (2021). The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-00997-6. Scientific Data 8: 215.

Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.

Plunkett, G.M., Ranker, T.A., Sam, C. & Balick, M.J. (2022). Towards a checklist of the vascular flora of Vanuatu. Candollea 77: 105-118

VERNACULAR NAME

Angami: Thevobuto
Assamese: Jom Lakhut
Bengali: কেউ - কেউমুক Keu, Keumuk
Chinese (simplified): 闭鞘姜
Chinese (traditional): 絹毛鳶尾 - 閉鞘薑
English: Crêpe ginger, Crepe ginger, Cane-reed, Malay ginger,Spiral flag, Spiral ginger, Wild ginger
Filipino: Tubong-usa, Tiuasi
German: Prächtige Kostwurz
Gujarati: Pevato
Hindi: कुष्ट - केउ - कुष्ठ Kust, Keu, Kushtha
Hong Kong: 閉鞘薑
Indonesian: Pacing tawar
Japanese: オオホザキアヤメ - フクジンソウ
Java: Pacing tawar, Tabar-tabar
Kannada: Chengala koshtha, Naayi kabbu, Nari Kabbu, Naayi Kabbu, Pushkaramula, Pushkara, Changalakosta, Changalakostha, Neeraja, Padmapatra
Khmer: Trâthôk
Konkani: Kosh
Lao: 'üangz
Macao: 閉鞘薑
Malayalam: Aanakoova, Aanappoo, Channa, Channakoova, Malavayambu, Narumchanna, Nuchanna, Anakkuva, Cannakkuva
Malaysia: Setawar, Tawar, Setengteng
Manipuri: Okchak Khombi, Khongban takhelei
Marathi: Pev, Piway, Kosht
Mizo: Sumbul
Nepali: बेटलाउरी Betalauri
Oria: Gaigendalia, Gaigobra, Kena, Keuana, Cheki kanda, Keo, Keu kand, Keogab kachya, Koukuka, Kokola
Oriya: Kushtha
Palauan: Isebab
Russian: Гелления красивая
Sanskrit: Pushkaara, Kemuka, Kustha
Slovak: Helénia nádherná
Spanish: Caña agria
Sumatera: Setawar
Sunda: pacing
Taiwan: 閉鞘薑
Tamil: கோஷ்டம் - கோட்டம் - வெண்கோஷ்டம் Kostam, Kottam, Ven-kostam
Tangkhul: Talaiwon, Makeiri
Telugu: Bomma kachika, Chengalva koshtu, Bogachika, Kasmiramu, Kimuka, Koshtamu
Thai: เอื้องหมายนา

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Pink jewel dragonfly (Heliocypha fenestrata)

Pink jewel dragonfly ( Heliocypha fenestrata ) is an animal species in Chlorocyphidae, a dragonfly 40-45mm long, slender, predominantly black with bright pink and blue, flies swiftly, large eyes, very long wings, lives near fresh flowing water and waterways. H. fenestrata has a black body with an upper back decorated with three plots of squares in pink and a similar plot on the nape of the top. The sides to the bottom are decorated with plots in light blue. A pair of large, round and black eyes. The tail is long and segmented, cylindrical, predominantly black with several plots of light blue color at the base of the sides, the tip ends with two small tails and curves inward. The legs are jointed and are all black. The wings have a span of up to 80 mm, contain many pulse lines, elliptical tips, are dark and transparent, when exposed to sunlight they give off pink or green or blue or white reflections. Pink jewel dragonfly lives near freshwater ecosystems that flow and low light inten...
Read more

Screw tree (Helicteres isora)

Screw tree ( Helicteres isora ) is a species of plant in the Malvaceae family. It is a shrub or small tree, up to 8 meters tall. It has gray bark and alternate leaves, up to 22 cm long and 17 cm wide, oval in shape, with serrated edges and hairs. The flowers are red or white and reach a total length of 5.5 cm. The fruit is green when unripe, brown or gray when dry, twisted, spiral-shaped, and pointed at the tip. The seeds are black or brown, shiny, and diagonal, triangular, or rectangular. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Subfamily: Helicteroideae Tribe: Helictereae Genus: Helicteres Pluk. ex L. in Sp. Pl.: 963 (1753) Species: Helicteres isora L. in Sp. Pl.: 963 (1753) HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS Helicteres baruensis var. ovata DC. in Prodr. 1: 476 (1824) Helicteres chrysocalyx Miq. ex Mast. in J.D.Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 1: 365 (1874) Helicteres corylifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Dillwyn in Rev. Hortus Malab....
Read more

Glombang (Lentinus squarrosulus)

Glombang ( Lentinus squarrosulus ) is a species of fungi in Polyporaceae, umbrella-shaped, strong pole, round, chewy and fleshy stamp, white with gray spots forming rings, scaly, growing on wood in tropical regions, fast growth of mycelia used for food and nutraceuticals. L. squarrosulus has a 1.5-10 cm long cap, the surface is convex inward until compressed with a slightly bumpy, jagged margin, initially white to brown at maturity. The bottom surface of the cap has gills, crowded, narrow, white to yellow with rough edges. Stems 20-60x4-10 mm, running to the center, pointing downward, upright or crooked, hairy to scaly, partially creamy veils leaving a ring or light zone towards the top of the stem which may disappear in age or the veil may remain intact and cover the gills. Pileus is thin, tough, fibrous and white. Spores are cylindrical, smooth, nonamiloid, 6-9,52.5x-3.5 μm and white in color. It grows singly but is more common in groups on fallen tree trunks, especially coconut...
Read more