Costus is a group of perennial herbaceous plants in the family (Costaceae) described by Linnaeus as a genus in 1753. It is widespread through tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Costus is often characterized and distinguished from relatives such as Zingiber (true ginger) by its spiraling stems. The genus as a whole is thus often called spiral gingers, but this can also refer to C. barbatus specifically.