botanical record · discovered
Costus
Saussurea lappa
Costus · Kuth
At a glance
Origin / distribution: China, India, Spanish, Arabic, Kashmir, Iran, Sanscrit
Cultural traditions: not documented
Recorded uses: Ache(Stomach), Antiseptic, Asthma, Bronchitis
Science studied: ALPHA-AMORPHENIC-ACID, ALPHA-AMYRIN-STEARATE, APLOTAXENE, CEDRENE
Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗
Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.
Names and identity
Family: Asteraceae
Scientific name: Saussurea lappa
Common names: Costus, Kuth
History
The source record documents this plant in China, India, Elsewhere, Spanish, Arabic, Kashmir, Iran, Sanscrit.
It records these historical or traditional applications:
- Ache(Stomach)
- Antiseptic
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Cancer
- Circulation
- Cough
- Diarrhea
show 34 more documented entries
- Digestive
- Diuretic
- Dysentery
- Dyspepsia
- Energy
- Expectorant
- Hypotension
- Insecticide
- Nausea
- Opiate
- Perfume
- Preventitive
- Sedative
- Skin
- Spasm
- Stimulant
- Stomachic
- Tonic
- Tumor(Lung)
- Viricide
- Carminative
- Cancer(Esophagus)
- Fumigant
- Fumitory
- Hairblack
- Incense
- Tumor
- Aphrodisiac
- Shampoo
- Tympanitis
- Anodyne
- Candida
- Cholera
- Fungicide
This summary is limited to the cited source record.
Origins and distribution
- China
- India
- Elsewhere
- Spanish
- Arabic
- Kashmir
- Iran
- Sanscrit
Documented cultural uses
- Ache(Stomach)
- Antiseptic
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Cancer
- Circulation
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Digestive
- Diuretic
- Dysentery
- Dyspepsia
show 30 more documented entries
- Energy
- Expectorant
- Hypotension
- Insecticide
- Nausea
- Opiate
- Perfume
- Preventitive
- Sedative
- Skin
- Spasm
- Stimulant
- Stomachic
- Tonic
- Tumor(Lung)
- Viricide
- Carminative
- Cancer(Esophagus)
- Fumigant
- Fumitory
- Hairblack
- Incense
- Tumor
- Aphrodisiac
- Shampoo
- Tympanitis
- Anodyne
- Candida
- Cholera
- Fungicide
Cultural record detail
These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.
- Ache(Stomach) · China · "
- Antiseptic · India · "
- Asthma · China · "
- Asthma · Elsewhere · "
- Bronchitis · Elsewhere · "
- Cancer · China · "
- Circulation · China · "
- Cough · China · "
- Diarrhea · China · "
- Digestive · China · "
- Diuretic · Elsewhere · "
- Dysentery · China · "
- Dyspepsia · China · "
- Energy · China · "
- Expectorant · Elsewhere · "
- Hypotension · China · "
- Insecticide · Elsewhere · "
- Insecticide · China · "
- Nausea · China · "
- Opiate · Elsewhere · "
- Perfume · India · "
- Preventitive · Spanish · "
- Sedative · Arabic · "
- Skin · India · "
22 additional documented entries remain in the source record.
Contemporary uses
Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.
Scientific research
Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.
Indexed research records
- [A new sesquiterpene alkaloid and a new caffeoylquinic acid derivative from roots of Saussurea lappa]. · 2026 source ↗
- More than a Thickener: Xanthan Gum as a Vehicle for the Herbicidal Extract of <i>Saussurea lappa</i> and Its Rheological Characterization. · 2026 source ↗
- "Comparative Evaluation of Saussurea Lappa Root Extract Ointment and Standard Therapy on Second-Degree Burn Wound Healing in Rabbits". · 2026 source ↗
Scientific compounds
Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.
- ALPHA-AMORPHENIC-ACID
- ALPHA-AMYRIN-STEARATE
- APLOTAXENE
- CEDRENE
- CEDROL
- BETA-COSTENE
- COSTUNOLIDE
- COSTUS-LACTONE
- DEHYDROCOSTUS-LACTONE
- DIHYDROAPLOTAXENE
- DIHYDROCOSTUS-LACTONE
- DIHYDRO-DEHYDROCOSTUS-LACTONE
- CIS-DIHYDROIONONE
- BETA-ELEMENE
- EO
- 4-ETHYLOCTANOIC-ACID
show 49 more documented entries
- FRIEDELIN
- (Z,Z,Z)-1,8,11,14-HEPTADECATETRAENE
- HEPTANOIC-ACID
- HEXANOIC-ACID
- ALPHA-HUMULENE
- ALPHA-IONONE
- BETA-IONONE
- 3-ISOPROPYLPENTANOIC-ACID
- ISOZALUZANIN
- KUSHTIN
- LACTONES
- LINALOL
- MYRCENE
- NAPHTHALINE
- OCTANOIC-ACID
- ALPHA-PHELLANDRENE
- PENTADEC-1-ENE
- SAUSSURINE
- BETA-SITOSTEROL
- STIGMASTEROL
- COSTUS-ACID
- PALMITIC-ACID
- ACETIC-ACID
- BETA-AMYRIN-STEARATE
- ALPHA-COSTENE
- LUPEOL
- OLEIC-ACID
- RESINOIDS
- BETA-SELININE
- TARAXASTEROL
- ALKALOIDS
- BETULIN
- CARYOPHYLLENE-OXIDE
- COSTIC-ACID
- COSTOL
- P-CYMENE
- DIHYDROCOSTUNOLIDE
- 22-DIHYDROSTIGMASTEROL
- FAT
- GUAIA-3,9,11-TRIENE-12-ACID
- INULIN
- (E)-9-ISOPROPYL-6-METHYLDECA-5,9-DIEN-2-ONE
- 12-METHOXY-DIHYDROCOSTUNOLIDE
- 7-OCTENOIC-ACID
- TANNIN
- PHELLANDRENE
- 3-METHYL-BUTYRIC-ACID
- CAMPHENE
- CARYOPHYLLENE
Legality
CITES: Appendix I
I — 01/08/1985
Jurisdictions in the listing: India (IN), Pakistan (PK)
This is an international trade listing, not a complete statement of country-specific law.
Reference images
Sources
Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases · CC0
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0
Species+ / CITES Checklist · Species+ / CITES checklist terms
show claim source mapping
CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive
Contributions and revisions
checking published revisions…
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