Costus afer
Species of plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Costus afer, English ginger lily or common ginger lily, is a species of plant native to Tropical Africa.[1][2]
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| Costus afer | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Zingiberales |
| Family: | Costaceae |
| Genus: | Costus |
| Species: | C. afer |
| Binomial name | |
| Costus afer Ker Gawl. | |
Costus afer is widely cultivated.[3] It has many traditional uses, including but not limited to treating a range of medical ailments.[2][4] Costus afer is high in diosgenin.
Costus afer has a wide native distribution spanning North East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Tropical Africa.[5]
Costus afer is sometimes confused with other African species of Costus, such as Costus dubius and Costus lucanusianus.[5][3] It is also similar looking to Costus louisii.
