Showing posts with label Costaceae. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Costaceae. Show all posts

Friday, January 22, 2016

Spiral Ginger (Costus afer)

An introduced large herb native to West Africa. Cultivated as an ornamental and probably also naturalized in some wet zone places*.

* Naturalized plants observed at roadsides of Athweltota and along the Nambapana Ela stream close to the Madakada monastery of Ingiriya.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

තෙබු[Thebu] (Hellenia speciosa [Syn: Costus speciosus])


An indigenous herb of about 2-3m height found in shady places of the low country. Roots use in traditional ayurvedic medicine to cure catarrhal fevers, coughs, dyspepsia, worms and skin diseases (Medicinal plants used in Ceylon part5 – D.M.A. Jayaweera).  Leaves edible and there is a popular belief that it can reduce the sugar level of the blood and hence good for diabetics patients.