Plant Datasheet for Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller'

I returned to the site in 2011 and examined the plants more closely. They were growing all along the steep slopes at the beach, right up to the edge of the sand, but were not found at all any farther up the slope. There were many mature inflorescences found but all were sterile, without any seeds, so either this is a sterile hybrid or the pollinator is absent from this area. This plant remains a mystery. For now I am placing it in C. comosus and ascribing a cultivar name as 'Cliff Dweller'.

This cultivar is described as follows: "Appears to be a hybrid or variety of C. comosus, plant is sterile, produces green bracts with long pendent triangular foliaceus appendages and yellow tubular flowers. Bracteole and calyx are white to pale green. Vegetative parts are glabrous to velutinous and ligule is extremely short (1-2 mm) and truncate. Leaf base is cordate unlike description of C. comosus." The cultivar Registry Photo at http://www.gingersrus.com/Registry/Costus_CliffDweller.jpg

ACCESSION NOTES:
R3208 is the sterile plant that was found at Cabo Matapalo and has been given the cultivar name 'Cliff Dweller'. This might be exactly the same as the other "maritimus" types found along the northern coast of the Golfo Dulce. They are shown at PID 6125. R3208 has been vouchered at the UC Berkeley, Jepsen Herbarium, UC2045789.