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Created page with "'''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 ro..."
'''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.<ref name="int"/>
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 kosht (קשט) in Hebrew.<ref name="int2"/>
== Description ==
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.
It has long lyrate leaves and heads of purple florets.
== Uses ==
*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 kosht (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.
*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”). It forms a main ingredient in the Chinese pastille rods known as joss sticks. It is also used as incense.
*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). 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. 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.[Clarification needed]
*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.
== References ==
<references>
<ref name="int">[http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0066300 "Sesquiterpene Lactones Downregulate G2/M Cell Cycle Regulator Proteins and Affect the Invasive Potential of Human Soft Tissue Sarcoma Cells"]</ref>
<ref name="int2">[http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10531-004-4365-x "Kuth (Saussurea lappa) cultivation in the cold desert environment of the Lahaul valley, northwestern Himalaya, India: arising threats and need to revive socio-economic values"]</ref>
</references>
== External Links ==
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saussurea_costus Saussurea costus]
[[Category:Herbs]]
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 kosht (קשט) in Hebrew.<ref name="int2"/>
== Description ==
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.
It has long lyrate leaves and heads of purple florets.
== Uses ==
*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 kosht (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.
*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”). It forms a main ingredient in the Chinese pastille rods known as joss sticks. It is also used as incense.
*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). 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. 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.[Clarification needed]
*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.
== References ==
<references>
<ref name="int">[http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0066300 "Sesquiterpene Lactones Downregulate G2/M Cell Cycle Regulator Proteins and Affect the Invasive Potential of Human Soft Tissue Sarcoma Cells"]</ref>
<ref name="int2">[http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10531-004-4365-x "Kuth (Saussurea lappa) cultivation in the cold desert environment of the Lahaul valley, northwestern Himalaya, India: arising threats and need to revive socio-economic values"]</ref>
</references>
== External Links ==
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saussurea_costus Saussurea costus]
[[Category:Herbs]]
