Saussurea costus
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S. costus
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Saussurea costus, commonly known as costus or kuth, is a species of thistle in the genus Saussurea native to South Asia. Essential oils extracted from the root is used in traditional medicine and in perfumes since ancient times.[5][6]
It has a large number of names in other languages, including kustha in Sanskrit; kust or qust in Arabic and Persian; kut, kur, and pachak in Hindi and Bengali, kostum, gostham, and potchuk in Tamil; upaleta and kur in Gujarati; kot or kust in Punjabi; changala in Telugu; sepuddy in Malayalam; kostha in Kannada; kuth or postkhai in Kashmiri; and koshet (קשט) in Hebrew.[7][2][8][9]
Contents
Habitat
It is usually found at elevations of 2,500 to 3,000 m (8,202.1 to 9,842.5 ft) asl in South Asia; including the Himalayas, Kashmir, Jammu, Western Ghats, and the Kishenganga Valley.[8][7]
Appearance
It has long lyrate leaves and heads of purple florets.[8]
Uses
Root Properties
The root of Saussurea costus is a bitter tasting herb.[9][unreliable source?]
Ancient Israel
The root of Saussurea costus has been used as an incense and perfume ingredient for thousands of years and is mentioned in rabbinical writings as koshet (Hebrew: קשט), reflecting its arrowhead shape. It was used in Ketoret which is used when referring to the consecrated incense described in the Hebrew Bible and Talmud. It is also referred to as the Ketoret (incense). It was offered on the specialized incense altar in the time when the Tabernacle was located in the First and Second Jerusalem Temples. The ketoret was an important component of the Temple service in Jerusalem.
China
In traditional Chinese medicine, the root is one of the 50 fundamental herbs. It has the name (Chinese: 云木香; pinyin: yún mù xiāng, meaning “wood aroma”).[9] It forms a main ingredient in the Chinese pastille rods known as joss sticks.[8] It is also used as incense.[10]
Tibet
In Tibet the root was and is used extensively as incense and medicine.[citation needed]
India
In Ayurveda the name Kushta refers to an ancient Vedic plant god mentioned in the Atharvaveda as a remedy for takman, the archetypal disease of excess or jvara (fever).[9] In ancient India Kushta was considered to be a divine plant derived from heavenly sources, growing high in the Himalayas, considered to be the brother of the divine Soma.[9] In Ayurveda Kushta is a rasayana for Vata, helping to normalize and strengthen digestion, cleanse the body of toxic accumulations, enhance fertility, and reduce pain.[9][unreliable medical source?] In India it is also given as a medicine for cough, asthma, fever, and cholera.[citation needed] Its dried powder is the principal ingredient in an ointment for ulcers; it is also a hair wash.[8][10]
Costus rhizome is used for curing woolen cloth in hill area of Uttarakhand.
References
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One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. - ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 http://www.toddcaldecott.com/index.php/herbs/learning-herbs/300-kushta
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
 |
Look up costus in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- Saussurea costus pictures at Google Images
- Genus Saussurea phytochemical and pharmacological: Yang J.L. Wang R. Liu L.L. Shi Y.P. “Phytochemicals and biological activities of Saussurea species. [Review]” [153 refs] Journal of Asian Natural Products Research. 12(2):162-75, 2010 Feb.
- Saussurea costus Plants for a Future
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Contains a detailed monograph on Saussurea lappa (Kushta) as well as a discussion of health benefits and usage in clinical practice. Available online at http://www.toddcaldecott.com/index.php/herbs/learning-herbs/300-kushta
- Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the Encyclopedia Americana with a Wikisource reference
- Wikipedia articles incorporating text from Encyclopedia Americana
- Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from Collier's Encyclopedia
- Articles lacking reliable references from June 2012
- Articles containing Hebrew-language text
- Articles containing simplified Chinese-language text
- Articles with unsourced statements from July 2011
- Articles lacking reliable references from July 2012
- Articles with unsourced statements from July 2012
- Saussurea
- Medicinal plants
- Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine
