Costus phyllocephalus (PROTA)
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Introduction |
| General importance |  
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| Geographic coverage Africa |
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| Geographic coverage World |
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| Vegetable |
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| Food security |
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Costus phyllocephalus K. Schum.
- Protologue: Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 15: 420 (1893).
- Family: Costaceae
Origin and geographic distribution
Costus phyllocephalus has a relatively restricted distribution and has been recorded in southern DR Congo and northern Angola.
Uses
In Bas Congo (DR Congo) young leaves and shoots of Costus phyllocephalus are collected from the wild and eaten raw as a salad. They have a pleasant, refreshing and slightly acid taste.
The leaf sap is also medicinally used in DR Congo to treat eye diseases, wounds and ulcers and it is applied as an enema to treat post-partum haemorrhoids. A root decoction is taken to treat epilepsy and mental disorders. [copied from Costus lucanusianus
Description
- Perennial herb with rhizome and terete, glabrous stem up to 50 cm long.
- Leaves arranged spirally, simple; sheath tubular, closed, with ligule up to 3 cm long; petiole up to 0.5 cm long; blade lanceolate to oblong-obovate, 8–17 cm × 4–6.5 cm, with an acuminate tip, glabrous.
- Inflorescence a terminal head c. 5 cm in diameter, with large bracts having a blade up to 7 cm long.
- Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 3-merous; calyx tubular, c. 1.5 cm long, toothed; corolla 3-lobed, lobes fused at base, unequal; labellum (lip) c. 5 cm x 5 cm, pink with white throat; stamen 1, petaloid, c. 3 cm long; ovary inferior, 3-celled.
- Fruit a capsule crowned by the persistent calyx, many-seeded.
- Seeds with aril.
Costus comprises about 70 species and can be found throughout the tropics, tropical America being richest in species. In tropical Africa approximately 25 species occur. The leaves of Costus afer Ker-Gawl., Costus lucanusianus J.Braun & K.Schum. and Costus spectabilis (Fenzl) K.Schum. are also eaten in Bas Congo, but the former 2 are more important medicinally and the latter is preferred as an ornamental. The young shoots of Costus lucanusianus are cooked and eaten in Gabon and also have an acidulous taste.
Ecology
Costus phyllocephalus can be found in the undergrowth of lowland forest, often in humid localities along streams.
Genetic resources
The range of distribution of Costus phyllocephalus is limited, rendering it susceptible to genetic erosion. However, there is insufficient information available to make any pertinent conclusions or recommendations.
Prospects
Locally Costus phyllocephalus is a popular vegetable, and it merits further examination. It might be an interesting ornamental because of its attractive flowers and the comparatively small plant size.
Major references
- Latham, P., 2004. Useful plants of Bas-Congo province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. DFID, London, United Kingdom. 320 pp.
Other references
- Daeleman, J. & Pauwels, L., 1983. Notes d’ethnobotanique de Ntandu (Kongo). Africana Linguistica 9, Annales du Musée Royal d’Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgium, Série in-8, Sciences Humaines 110: 149–255.
- Konda, K., Mbembe, B., Bavukinina, N. & Itufa, Y., 1992. Contribution à l’inventaire des plantes alimentaires spontanées au Zaïre. Al Biruniya, Revue Marocaine de Pharmacognosie, d’Etude Ethnomédicales et de Botanique Appliquée 8(2): 97–109.
- Baker, J.G., 1897–1898. Scitamineae. In: Thiselton-Dyer, W.T. (Editor). Flora of tropical Africa. Volume 7. L. Reeve & Co, Ashford, United Kingdom. pp. 293–331.
Author(s)
- W.J. van der Burg, PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands
Correct citation of this article
van der Burg, W.J., 2004. Costus phyllocephalus K.Schum. In: Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 17 December 2024.
