This page contains photos and description of a species, form or cultivar of Costaceae.

Gingersrus Database Taxon ID 4878

Costus lateriflorus


OLD NAME: Costus lateriflorus

NEW NAME: Costus lateriflorus

NAME CHANGE NOTES:

FULL SCIENTIFIC NAME: Costus lateriflorus Baker

STATUS : accepted

CONTINENT: African

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PHOTOS:(If photos are available, you can click on the link to open in a new window.)
GOOGLE PHOTO ALBUM

SYNONYMS:
- Costus letestui Pellegr. (1929)

BOTANICAL NOTES:
This African species is recognized in Paul Maas' monograph on African Costaceae, published on 16 December 2016. (Monograph of African Costaceae, H. Maas-van de Kamer, P.J.M. Maas, J.J. Wieringa, C.D. Specht, Blumea 61, 2016: 280 - 318, http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/nhn/blumea/2016/00000061/00000003/art00010)

Paul Maas has determined three species that he considers "epiphytic African species": Costus lateriflorus, Costus lilaceus, and Costus talbotii. C. lateriflorus is described as having flowers with a bright yellow labellum, either placed on inflorescences laterally at the leaf axils or terminating a separate leafless shoot (never seen in cultivated plants). He distinguishes it from C. talbotii and C. lilaceus by their flower colors (pink or lilac). One of the cultivated epiphytic types known as Costus letestui is considered by Paul Maas to be a synonym of C. lateriflorus, but it has nearly pure white flowers, so it perhaps should be considered a separate species from the other three epiphytics.

The African Plant Database lists this species as accepted. Biology : Epiphyte with leafy shoots apparently sarmentose; leaf blade ovate, glabrous Ecology : Ecology unknown (? Forest); 5-975 m alt.

W3Tropicos - http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/pick.html - Author(s): ORSTOM Publication: List of Vascular Plants of Gabon with Synonymy

Costus lateriflorus, Baker - Flora of Tropical Africa, 1898 - describes this species. Leafy stem, apparently sarmentose. Leaves oblong, 5-7 in. long, 2 1/2 in. broad in the middle, obtusely cuspidate, cuneate at the base, moderately firm, glabrous on both sides; petiole and ligule very short,. Flowers many in a cluster from the side of the stem; bracts small, oblong. Calyx subcylindrical, firm in texture, 3/4/ in. long, shortly toothed at the apex. Corolla-lobes oblong-lanceolate, above 1 in. long. Lip sulphur yellow, 2 in. long and broad, irregularly toothed round the outer edge; process of fertile stamen nearly 1 in. shorter than the lip; anther 1/3 in. long. Lower Guinea, Corisco Bay; Mount John, Rivcer Kongui, Mann, 1629!

Schumann describes this species and places in subgenus Metacostus - Das Pflanzenreich IV, 1904. (NOTE: This IS the African epiphytic Costus as described by Schumann.)

HORTICULTURAL NOTES:
This species is common in cultivation, and produces showy yellow flowers at the leaf axils.

ACCESSIONS:Click links (if any) to see details of individual collections. R2252- R2834- R3096-


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Photos (if available) of Taxon ID 4878
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Costus lateriflorus - Click to see full sized image
Photo# 624 Accession# R0
Costus lateriflorus