Saussurea costus from which Costus Root is obtained is a high altitude native herb of S.E Asia from Kashmir, Jammu, The Himalayan plateau and the Kishenganga Valley.

It goes by a variety of names including Kuth, Kustha, Kust or Qust, Kut, Kur achak, Kostum Potchuk, Gostham, Changala Sepuddy Kostha Kosht, and Postkhai

Traditional Uses for Costus Root:-

It is a very bitter tasting root and has been used in both Chinese and Ayurvedic traditional medicine for hundreds of years and the oils extracted from it is used in the perfume industry.

The root is one of the 50 fundamental herbs in Chinese Traditional Medicine and is called  yún mù xiāng there which simply means wood aroma.  It forms a main ingredient in the Chinese pastille rods known as joss sticks and is used as incense

The root is referenced in rabbinical texts and was used in ancient times as consecrated incense (Ketoret)

In Tibet the root s used primarily as incense and to a lesser extent as medicine. In India and Ayurvedic medicine the root is used to help reduce fever and to aid in digestion, as a detox and to a small extent to enhance fertility. It is also used for bronchial conditions, such as asthma and persistant coughing and for ulceration.