Plant Datasheet for Costus curvibracteatus

The Peruvian species Costus productus is sometimes incorrectly listed and sold under this name. The true Costus curvibracteatus until very recently has been rarely found in cultivation in the US. Costus productus is listed underPID #3789.

I have seen the true Costus curvibracteatus many times in various localities in Costa Rica and Panama. In July 2016 I revisited the type locality in PN Tapanti, Costa Rica. The type of the species grows to nearly 3 meters tall and produces a large, showy inflorescence with bright red-orange bracts that are yellow toward the apex, but with very small flowers that are mostly hidden beneath the bracts. The plants in Panama have mostly red bracts with short yellow flowers. These plants have a short truncate ligule characteristically with a dark puplish margin.

There is a distinctly different form found in northern Costa Rica, in the eastern side of the Tilaran Mountains and in the Cordillera Central in Parque Nacionál Braulio Carrillo. This form has nearly solid red bracts with longer yellow tubular flower that extends well past the bracts. These plants also differ from the type by having a longer, lobed ligule that is absent the purplish ring at the margins.

Another plant that was mentioned by Maas in his 1977 monograph produces a basal inflorescence from a separate flowering shoot, and has been proposed (as of December 2016) to be published as a new species. The basal form and the northern Costa Rica forms are listed separately on the following pages:
Basal Flowering Form -PID 7471, collections in Costa Rica and Panama, and Colombia
'Pocosol' Red Bracted Form -PID 7454, a shorter, red-bracted form found in the northern part of Costa Rica.

In 2014 I completed an IUCN Red List assessment for this species and it is now classified as Least Concern. My assessment can be found at http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/full/56344647/0.

ACCESSION NOTES:
I have found this species to be somewhat difficult to grow here in Tallahassee, perhaps due to our very hot summers. R2973 from Rio Purisil, Costa Rica was lost. R3134 from Cerro Gaital, El Valle, Panama has struggled to survive and never flowered. R3142 from La Fortuna, Panama did not survive. R3184 of unknown origin from cut flowers, received from John Mood is still alive but no flowers. R3243 from Cerro Gaital, Panama has been very slow growing. R3244 from a flower market in El Valle did not survive. R3285 is a recent acquisition from Plant Group Hawaii called "bloody curvi", still alive but no flowers yet. R3367 seeds collected in July 2016 at the type locality in PN Tapantí.

OBSERVATION NOTES:

Near Alberque El Socorro, Latitude 10.25957, Longitude -84.16875, at 823 meters elevation.

Parque Nacional Tapantí, Latitude 9.749346, Longitude -83.781492, at 1400 meters elevation.

Cerro Gaital, El Valle de Anton, Panama, Latitude 8.628, Longitude -80.119, at 900 meters elevation.

Cerro Gaital, El Valle de Anton, Panama, Latitude 8.623, Longitude -80.118, at 1000 meters elevation.

Alto Piedra Trail to Cero Tute, Santa Fe, Panama, Latitude 8.5147, Longitude -81.1193, at 900 meters elevation.

Smithsonian Divide Trail, La Fortuna area, Panama, Latitude 8.783, Longitude -82.206, at 1280 meters elevation.

Willie Mazu lodge area, Panama, Latitude 8.7935, Longitude -82.1927, at 500 meters elevation.

Pocosol, Alajuela Province, San Ramón, Costa Rica, Latitude 10.353, Longitude -84.668, at 830 meters elevation.

Sendero Arboles Caidos, PN Tapantí, Cartago Province, Costa Rica, Latitude 9.74885, Longitude -83.78092, at 1300 meters elevation.

Water Tower Rd, above Orosi, Cartago Province, Costa Rica, Latitude 9.76962, Longitude -83.85333, at 1500 meters elevation.

road above Purisil, Cartago Province, Costa Rica, Latitude 9.75, Longitude -83.814, at 1350 meters elevation.