Plants in the tropical Costus Family (Costaceae) are perennial, rhizomatous herbs with simple, spirally arranged leaves, a closed, tubular leaf sheath, elliptic leaf blades, cone-like inflorescences, bisexual, tubular, 3-lobed flowers with an inferior ovary, and fruit in the form of a 2- or 3-valved capsule containing black seeds.

Listed below are some of the Hawaiian plants in this family.