Costaceae FAMILY
Costus spectabilis
Costus spectabilis
Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5
Safety & Hazards
None known
Botanical Description
Costus spectabilis is a herbaceous perennial plant. It flowers several weeks before the leaves appear. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use of its edible leaves. It is often grown as an ornamental in gardens[ 736 Title Flora of West Tropical Africa Publication Author Website http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=2025 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An online flora, not yet complet (2012). Very comprehensive as regards to species covered, but the information on each species is often rather terse. ].
Habitat & Origin
Origintropical
Native RangeTropical Africa - Senegal to Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya, south to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
HabitatRocky savannah; black soil in Oxytenanthera thicket with Combretum-Terminalia woodland; in shade on sandy soil in open Combretum-Terminalia or Isoberlinia woodland; elsewhere in seasonal grassland; often around termitaria; among rocks; 150 - 1,850 m[ 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. ].