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Table 3 Characteristic features of Costus speciosus (Devi and Urooj 2010; Singh et al., 2014)

From: Phytochemical competence and pharmacological perspectives of an endangered boon—Costus speciosus (Koen.) Sm.: a comprehensive review

Features of C. speciosus

Plant type

Herbaceous, perennial, seed propagated, and vegetatively propagated

Height of the plant

In frost-free areas

Up to 3.1 m

In cooler regions

About 1.8 m

Stem

Stem sub woody at the base

No characteristic taste and odor

Leaves

Number of leaves

Usually 15–20

Color of leaves

Dark green

Arrangement

Alternate and Spiral arrangement

Length

5.7–7.5 cm

Shape

Sessile or sub-sessile

Leaf blade

Oblong or lanceolate

Dorsal surface texture

Silky instances

Ventral surface texture

Silky and pubescent

Petiole

5–7 mm

Leaf sheath

Coriaceous (leathery texture)

Ligule

Absent

Taste and odor

No characteristic taste and odor

Inflorescence

Type of inflorescence

Spike (dense spike) 5- 12.5 by 3.8- 7.5 cm

Flower color

Large, white, and clustered in terminal globose heads

Bracts

2–3.2 cm long, ovate, acuminate, often pungently mucronate, large, bright red, or shiny brown in color

Bracteole

Pale red, Solitary below the calyx, and 1.6 mm long

Calyx

Red, 3.2 cm long, lobes 6 mm long, and deltoid-ovate cuspidate

Corolla

Corolla tube as long as the calyx; lobes ovate-oblong, apiculate, the lateral lobes 3.5 by 1.3 cm, and the dorsal 4 by 2 cm

Taste and odor

Characteristic taste and odor

Labellum

White, trumpet-shaped, toothed, and crisped apex, overlapping edges

Stamen

Crest yellow stamens, petaloid, and globose single stamen, the style running between the two halves of the large anther

Fruit

Globosely trigonous red-colored capsule

Seeds

Black and glossy approximately 3 mm black, five in number with a white fleshy aril