Insulin Plant
It is a perennial, upright, spreading plant reaching about two feet tall, with spirally arranged leaves and attractive flowers.
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Costus igneus Nak
COMMON NAME
Fiery costus, Spiral flag, Insulin plant, anti-diabetic plant.
CLASSIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS
Plant Division Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon) Plant Growth Form Herbaceous Plant Lifespan (in Singapore) Perennial Mode of Nutrition Autotrophic PLANT CARE AND PROPAGATION
Light Preference Semi-Shade Water Preference Moderate Water Propagation Method Seed, Stem Cutting, Division USES
- Costus pictus and Costus igneous are commonly known as insulin plants and used as a munching dietary supplement for the treatment of diabetes in southern India.
Sources
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24600198/
- https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/5/8/5877
- https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/1/8/1867
- https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.735.685&rep=rep1&type=pdf
- http://ijpsi.org/Papers/Vol2(5)/version-1/B251118.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3931203/
Disclaimer
The information in this website is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.