**4.2** *Costus scaber*

*Costus scaber* (**Figure 3**) is an erect plant, up to 4 meters high; root stock is tuberous; stem is sub-woody at the base. Leaf shape is elliptical with entire margin and

**Figure 2.** *C. speciosus (J. Konig) Smith collected from Nagakhelia village, Dibrugarh.*

**Figure 3.** *Costus scaber collected from Dhemaji (insert: flower specimen).*

are spirally arranged around the stem. The primary bracts are borne on the inflorescence in spiral phyllotaxy. One flowered cincinni occur in the axils of these bracts. Each cincinnus consists of an axis bearing a terminal flower [17]. The floral organs are formed sequentially starting with calyx. Flowering time in Indian condition is October to December.

It is mainly distributed in the neo tropical regions. Within India its geographical distribution is in the sub-Himalayan tract from Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh eastwards to Arunachal Pradesh; and in the Western ghats in Maharastra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
