Bunga Pacing Tawar (Cheilocostus speciosus)

Bunga yang tumbuh liar di hutan dan di pinggiran jalan, ternyata di negara India merupakan obat untuk berbagai penyakit

bunga india.jpg

Cheilocostus speciosus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheilocostus_speciosus

in the genus Cheilocostus. It is native to southeast Asia and surrounding regions, from India to China to Queensland, It is especially common on the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is also reportedly naturalized in Mauritius, Réunion, Fiji, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Belize, Melanesia, Micronesia, and the West Indies. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental

Description
Cheilocostus speciosus differs from the common ginger by having only one row of spirally arranged leaves. The species reproduces vegetatively by rhizome, and birds disperse the seeds when they feed on the fruits.
This plant is cultivated in India for its medicinal uses, and is cultivated elsewhere as an ornamental. In some areas Cheilocostus speciosus is introduced and has become an invasive species.

Habitat
The habitat where this species is found is roadside ditches and low-lying areas in the forest. The flowering season starts after the rainy season, from October to December.

Human relevance
The plant has many historical uses in Ayurveda, where the rhizome has been used to treat fever, rash, asthma, bronchitis, and intestinal worms. It is mentioned in the Kama Sutra as an ingredient in a cosmetic to be used on the eyelashes to increase sexual attractiveness. It is used to treat kidney problems and other urinary problems in Mizo

Traditional Medicine.
Cheilocostus speciosus has a large number of common names in many languages, including isebsab (Palauan); keu, kemuk or keumul (Bengali); keukand (Hindi); thebu (Sinhala); pakarmula (Gujarati); pushkarmula (Marathi and Sanskrit); jom lakhuti (Assamese); kostam (Tamil); Kosta (Kannada); Kostamu (Telugu); sumbul (Mizo).

References

"Cheilocostus speciosus (J.König) C.Specht". The Plant List. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Hellenia speciosa
Pacific Island Invasive Species Archived July 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.