Costaceae

Spiked spiralflag

Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw.

Family: Costaceae
Genus: Costus

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Common names

By language (8)

Arabic: قسط شائك
arz: قسط شائك
Chinese: 穗花闭鞘姜
English: Spiked spiralflag
Haitian Creole: Kann dlo
Indonesian: Pacing
Japanese: コスツス・スピカツス
Portuguese: Cana do brejo

Synonyms

Alpinia spicata Jacq.
Amomum petiolatum Lam.
Costus conicus Stokes
Costus cylindricus Jacq.
Costus micranthus Gagnep.
Costus quartus Roem. & Schult.

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb, Shrub, Subshrub
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Puerto Rico: native

Photos

Photo: Joan Simon, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Joan Simon, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Joan Simon, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Consultaplantas, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Consultaplantas, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Consultaplantas, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Joan Simon from Barcelona, España, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Joan Simon from Barcelona, España, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Joan Simon from Barcelona, España, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Linrx, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Costus

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.