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PLANT FAMILY: Costaceae BOTANICAL NAME: Costus fissicalyx FORMAL SCIENTIFIC NAME: Costus fissicalyx N. R. Salinas, Clavijo & Betancur STATUS :Accepted CONTINENT: Neotropical SYNONYMS: BOTANICAL NOTES: New Costus species described in Caldasia vol.29 no.2 Bogota 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 pequeño 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]." http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0366-52322007000200001 Based on the photo, this species appears to me to be closest to Costus geothryrsus, another virtually unknown species. Herbarium: Universidad Nacional de Colombia (COL), COL000255697, collected by Clavijo R., L.; Cordero P., Z., #415 on 2004/2/20 at Departamento de Vaups: Municipio de Taraira, Estacin Biolgica Mosiro Itajura (Capar). 14'21.8'' S; 6931'2.9'' W, in Colombia (Colombia), at 200 meters [Corrected format for Google Earth: Taraira, Vaupes, Colombia at 01 4 21.8 S, 69 31 2.9 W - This is along the Rio Apaporis near the Brazilian border.] Photo at http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/plantguides/guide_pdfs/316%20COSTACEAE%20Colombia-06.pdf |