Costus speciosus (Koen) J.E. Sm. Family: Zingiberaceae is an erect herbaceous plant up to 2 m high with long lanceolate leaves and white fragrant flowers in terminal clusters. The plant flowers during the months of July and August, the aerial parts withering away during the winter season. It has wide distribution in India, occurring throughout the sub-Himalayan tract from Himachal Pradesh to As...

The Dichotomius speciosus species group, endemic to the highlands of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and included in the subgenus Luederwaldtinia is taxonomically revised. Dichotomius alvarengai new species and D. malyi new species are described. Dichotomius bucki is here considered to be a new synonym of D. opalescens, for which a lectotype is designated. The group, as well as its species, is di...

Medicinal plants are garnering widespread interest in scientific circles due to their consistent pharmacological activities, which make them beneficial the treatment of a variety ailments. Costus speciosus, commonly known as crepe ginger, is an herbaceous plant native Mexico that belongs family Costaceae (zingiberaceae). Creep Ginger have many medicinal effects, such antioxidant, anti-inflammat...

One hundred specimens of unicorn leatherjacket, Aluterus monoceros purchased from markets of municipalities of Niterói and Rio de Janeiro from May to August 2006. The fishes were measured, necropsied, fileted and analysed their organs. Sixteen fishes were parasitized by nematode Anisakidae: Anisakis spp. and Contracaecum sp. with respectively, 1 and 16% of prevalence, 2 and 3.31 of mean intensi...

Costus speciosus Koen. (Keu, Crape ginger), an Indian ornamental plant, has long been medicinally used in traditional systems of medicine. The plant has been found to possess diverse number of pharmacological activities. The present article gives an account of updated information on its phytochemical and pharmacological properties. The review reveals that wide numbers of phytochemical constitue...

Costus speciosus is an important medicinal and ornamental plant used to cure different diseases. The plant has been found to possess many pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, anticholineesterase, antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, antiinflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, antidiuretic, larvicidal, antistress and estrogenic activity. The rhizomes of Costus speciosus are bit...

We are engaged in a comprehensive study of cicada killers (Sphecius spp.), including their behavioral ecology. At one location, we observed interactions among three putative species of Sphecius, and used DNA barcoding to help clarify relationships among them. For this, we sequenced a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. During our study, a new taxonomic key of New ...

Plants that experience variation in pollinator visitation rates or fluctuations in weather conditions may be expected to have evolved homeostatic mechanisms that regulate their nectar offerings, thereby providing a more constant reward to the pollinators. A limited degree of such nectar homeostasis is reported here for Penstemon. First, nectar removal stimulates replenishment: when nectar was r...