Costaceae FAMILY

Hellenia speciosa

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Hellenia speciosus is an erect, occasionally branched, herbaceous perennial plant growing up to 3 metres tall from a stout, creeping, tuberous rootstock[ 283 Title Medicinal Plants in Vietnam Publication Author Nguyen Van Dan & Doan Thi Nhu Publisher World Health Organisation Year 1989 ISBN 92 9061 101 4 Description An excellent book, giving information on over 200 plants, their medicinal compounds and applications. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal and food use. It is sometimes cultivated for medicinal purposes in India and is commonly grown as an ornamental in many areas of the tropics[ 490 Title Flora Vitiensis Nova Publication Author Smith. A.C. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden; Hawaii Year 1979 ISBN Description A comprehensive flora of Fiji, often showing plant uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeE. Asia - China, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, northern Australia.

HabitatDisturbed moist to wet thickets and roadside banks at elevations from 50 - 200 metres where it is naturalized in Puerto Rico[ 656 Title Monocotyledons and Gymnosperms of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Publication Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Vol. 52 Author Acevedo-Rodríguez P. & Strong M.T. (Editors) Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Smithsonian Institution; Washington. Year 2005 ISBN 0097-1618 Description A treatment of the monocots and gymnosperms growing in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ].