Red spiral costus
Costus erythrocoryne
Family: Costaceae
What it is like
A herb. It grows 4 m tall. It has rhizomes. The stems are slightly woody at the base. They are branched and twisted in spirals. The leaves are oblong with a rounded base and tapering to the tip. The edges are hairy. They are smooth and shiny on both surfaces. The flowers are in oval heads. There are shiny red bracts. The flowers are tube shaped and 5 cm long. They are yellow with an orange throat. The fruit is a round capsule. There are many black seeds.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in rainforests up to 1,500 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Amazon, Asia, Australia, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Peru, SE Asia, South America (country/location of origin)
How it is used for food
The fruit are sucked for their spicy juice.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from cuttings and division of the rhizome.
Its other names
Local names
Gone-quemo, Kostus merah spiral