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 Photo# 15073 Accession# R3130 Costus tarapotensis 'Morning Star' |
 Photo# 15074 Accession# R3130 Costus tarapotensis 'Morning Star' |
 Photo# 15075 Accession# R3130 Costus tarapotensis 'Morning Star' |
 Photo# 15076 Accession# R3130 Costus tarapotensis 'Morning Star' |
 Photo# 15077 Accession# R3130 Costus tarapotensis 'Morning Star' |
 Photo# 15078 Accession# R3130 Costus tarapotensis 'Morning Star' |
 Photo# 15079 Accession# R3130 Costus tarapotensis 'Morning Star' |
 Photo# 15080 Accession# R3130 Costus tarapotensis 'Morning Star' |
 Photo# 15081 Accession# R3130 Costus tarapotensis 'Morning Star' |
 Photo# 15082 Accession# R3130 Costus tarapotensis 'Morning Star' |
 Photo# 15083 Accession# R3130 Costus tarapotensis 'Morning Star' |
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CLICK HERE to see a description of accession #R3130 . (opens in new window). PLANT FAMILY: Costaceae BOTANICAL NAME: Costus tarapotensis aff. 'Morning Star' FORMAL SCIENTIFIC NAME: STATUS : CONTINENT: Neotropical SYNONYMS: BOTANICAL NOTES: This has now been given a formal cultivar name of 'Morning Star', described as follows: This C. claviger form has long, triangular bract appendages and creamy white flowers that have deeply incised margins to the labellum. The vegetative parts are densely hairy, ligules are short (about 5 mm) and truncate to slightly lobed. Plant had basal inflorescence when found in habitat but all cultivated plants have produced terminal blooms. Bracts are red, becoming green on the triangular appendages, flowers are have a deeply incised labellum. I collected this plant in northern Peru, San Martin, near the village of Shapaja. This is the same locality for a plant that was originally described in 1931 as Costus tarapotensis by J. F. Macbride, and it appears to closely match the type specimen for that species. It has short truncate ligules, red bracts (when uncovered) and green appendages. There is no visible nectar callus. The bracteoles are about 27 mm long and the calyx is about 17 mm long. Originally I thought this to be one of the forms that loosely fit in Maas' Costus aff. claviger group. If this is indeed the same plant that was described and named as C. tarapotensis by Macbride in 1931, it cannot be a syn. for C. guanaiensis var. tarmicus as both sides of the leaves are densely covered with hairs. It is possible that C. tarapotensis needs to be reinstated as a valid species. Cultivar Registry Photo at http://www.gingersrus.com/Registry/Costus_MorningStar.jpg GINGERSRUS CATALOG LISTING: 
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I found this plant in Peru on the eastern flank of the Andes near the Rio Huallaga. It was not in flower at the time of collection and I had no idea what species it was, but it had a mature basal inflorescence so I collected some seeds. It has turned out to be a spectacular, profuse flowering form of Costus claviger, or something very close to that species. It produced flowers for me at about 5 feet in height growing in a large pot. For me it has only flowered terminal, but likely has the ability to flower both ways since it was found with a basal inflorescence.