Gingersrus Database Taxon ID 7503Costus fissicalyxOLD NAME: Costus fissicalyx NEW NAME: Costus fissicalyx NAME CHANGE NOTES: FULL SCIENTIFIC NAME: Costus fissicalyx N. R. Salinas, Clavijo & Betancur STATUS : accepted CONTINENT: Neotropical FIELD OBSERVATIONS:(If field observations are available, you can click on the link to open in a new window.) PHOTOS:(If photos are available, you can click on the link to open in a new window.) GOOGLE PHOTO ALBUM SYNONYMS: BOTANICAL NOTES: Costus fissicalyx is an accepted species of neotropical Costus that was described in 2007 by N. R. Salinas, Clavijo and Betancur in Caldasia vol.29 no.2 Bogotá July/Dec. 2007. This is superficially similar to Costus pulverulentus, with red bracts and tubular flowers with the stamen far exceeding the labellum and corolla, but the flowers are yellow instead of red. The authors distinguish it from other species by the unusual calyx: "Cáliz gamosépalo [sepals united], 10-14 mm de largo, 5-6 mm de diámetro, ciatiforme, glabro a piloso, membranáceo, blanquecino, oculto por las brácteas; lóbulos reducidos a un pequeÅ„o mucrón de menos de 1 mm de largo [apparently this calx does not have the typical three deltate lobes], margen pobre e irregularmente ciliada, callo nectarÃfero ausente; el botón floral al desarrollarse rompe el cáliz lateralmente dejando una abertura de 6-8 mm de longitud [the calyx split down the side]." They do not mention the very unusual bullate (bumpy) texture of the leaves, but that trait is shown in their own photos and a photo posted by Nelson Pinilla Moreno as shown below (used with his permission). It is only known from eastern Amazonian parts of Colombia near the type locality along the Rio Apaporis and Rio Caquetá near the Brazilian border. I have not been to this region yet and have not seen this species other than in photos. Members of the revision team at Cornell University are working to obtain a sampling for DNA extraction, but it has not yet been included in a molecular phylogeny.
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