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 Photo# 15921 Specimen# R0 Costus 'California Dreaming' |
 Photo# 15922 Specimen# R0 Costus 'California Dreaming' |
 Photo# 15923 Specimen# R0 Costus 'California Dreaming' |
 Photo# 15924 Specimen# R0 Costus 'California Dreaming' |
 Photo# 15925 Specimen# R0 Costus 'California Dreaming' |
 Photo# 15926 Specimen# R0 Costus 'California Dreaming' |
 Photo# 15927 Specimen# R0 Costus 'California Dreaming' |
 Photo# 15928 Specimen# R0 Costus 'California Dreaming' |
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PLANT FAMILY: Costaceae BOTANICAL NAME: Costus 'California Dreaming' FORMAL SCIENTIFIC NAME: STATUS : CONTINENT: Neotropical SYNONYMS: BOTANICAL NOTES: This plant was found near the village of California (so named because of a minor gold rush there), in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. It is not known whether this is a new, undescribed species or a natural hybrid of other species in the area. During my 2014 trip to Chiapas I only saw it at this one locality. There were no fresh flowers seen but the red, appendaged bracts were different from any other Costus I saw in the area. The leaf peioles had the same disinctive purple lines as another plant that was found at lower altitudes (100-300 meters) in the Tapachula area, I am calling 'San Francisco Red' (PID 7583). It is also possible that this will turn out to be a form of Costus pulverulentus or a hybrid with something else. There was a very large clump of this plant found just 100 meters or so back in the forest near the village. A young man who showed us the plants told us that the young shoots are eaten by the villagers. One solitary plant in that large clump was found with green un-appendaged bracts. A thumbnail sheet with photos of this plant can be found at http://www.gingersrus.com/images/P7578 |