Costaceae
Spiral ginger
Costus scaber
- Family
- Costaceae
- Genus
- Costus
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Common names
By language (5)
- Arabic
- قسط خشن
- arz
- قسط خشن
- Chinese
- 洋闭鞘姜
- English
- Spiral ginger
- Japanese
- インディアンヘッドジンジャー
Synonyms
- Costus anachiri Jacq.
- Costus ciliatus Miq.
- Costus cylindricus var. anachiri (Jacq.) Petersen
- Costus cylindricus var. ciliatus (Miq.) Petersen
- Costus nutans K.Schum.
- Costus puchucupango J.F.Macbr.
- Costus quintus Roem. & Schult.
- Costus scaberulus Rich. ex Gagnep.
- Costus tatei Rusby
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Puerto Rico: introduced, U.S. Virgin Islands: introduced
Photos
Photo: Tubifex, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Tubifex, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Consultaplantas, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Consultaplantas, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: yakovlev.alexey from Moscow, Russia, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons ![Spiral ginger: 閉鞘薑屬 Costus scaber [倫敦植物園 Kew Gardens, London]](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/%E9%96%89%E9%9E%98%E8%96%91%E5%B1%AC_Costus_scaber_-%E5%80%AB%E6%95%A6%E6%A4%8D%E7%89%A9%E5%9C%92_Kew_Gardens%2C_London-_%289204822673%29.jpg/500px-%E9%96%89%E9%9E%98%E8%96%91%E5%B1%AC_Costus_scaber_-%E5%80%AB%E6%95%A6%E6%A4%8D%E7%89%A9%E5%9C%92_Kew_Gardens%2C_London-_%289204822673%29.jpg)
Photo: 阿橋 HQ, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
![Spiral ginger: 閉鞘薑屬 Costus scaber [倫敦植物園 Kew Gardens, London]](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/%E9%96%89%E9%9E%98%E8%96%91%E5%B1%AC_Costus_scaber_-%E5%80%AB%E6%95%A6%E6%A4%8D%E7%89%A9%E5%9C%92_Kew_Gardens%2C_London-_%289204822673%29.jpg/1280px-%E9%96%89%E9%9E%98%E8%96%91%E5%B1%AC_Costus_scaber_-%E5%80%AB%E6%95%A6%E6%A4%8D%E7%89%A9%E5%9C%92_Kew_Gardens%2C_London-_%289204822673%29.jpg)
More in Costus
- Spiked spiralflagCostus spicatusCostaceae
- Costus osaeCostaceae
- Costus spectabilisCostaceae
- Costus stenophyllusCostaceae
- Costus comosusCostaceae
- Costus laevisCostaceae
- Costus aferCostaceae
- Costus barbatusCostaceae
- Spiral gingerCostus pulverulentusCostaceae
- Costus chartaceusCostaceae
- Costus curvibracteatusCostaceae
- Costus elegansCostaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.