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PLANT FAMILY: Costaceae BOTANICAL NAME: Costus guanaiensis aff. var. tarmicus - Huanuco FORMAL SCIENTIFIC NAME: STATUS : CONTINENT: Neotropical SYNONYMS: BOTANICAL NOTES: This form is common in the area that was explored over 200 years ago by the Spanish explorer Hipólito Ruiz. It matches Ruiz' written description of the plant he named as Costus laevis but it best fits the currently described Costus guanaiensis var. tarmicus which was originally described as Costus tarmicus from a collection near La Merced, Dept. Junin, Peru. It is not at all like the plants we currently know as Costus laevis and furthermore the type specimen collected by Ruiz and housed in the herbarium in Spain is not consistent with his description of Costus laevis. Additional details explaining this confusing situation are discussed in an article I wrote, published in the quarterly Bulletin of the Heliconia Society International, December 2016. I have seen this form elsewhere in Peru in the Manu area and also have seen photos from other areas of Peru on the internet. There is an accession in Hawaii botanical gardens that originated from this same region (near Tingo Maria) collected in 1965 by Robert Wilson and another accession collected in Junin by Plowman and Kennedy in 1976 that was determined as Costus claviger. There are two collections in Hawaii botanical gardens that have been attributed to Costus aff. Claviger. I prepared a sheet about this at http://www.gingersrus.com/botanical/P7425/aff_claviger.htm. Waimea #76S303 - Seed collected by Plowman and Kennedy in Peru, Province. Tarma, Dept. Junin, Puente Perene above Rio Perene at elevation of 715 m. Lyon arboretum received it's specimen (#80.0705) from Waimea. The plant was det'd by Ken Nagata at Lyon Arb. In 1984 to be Costus claviger. It has a short truncate ligule, red bracts with green appendages, but has a noticable nectar callus thus departing from Maas' description of C. aff. Claviger. A second specimen, Waimea #74P389, is similar looking, but the margins of the labellum wings are purplish whereas #76S303 has white margins. Waimea #74P389 - Rec'd from PTBG, Kauai, their #72S734, they red'd from Robert Wilson #65-346, original collection in Peru, prob. Tingo Maria area. It has short, slightly lobed ligules, red bracts with green appendages and a non-distinct nectar callus. The bracteole (33 mm) and calyx (20mm) are much longer than others I have placed in this group. R3375 seeds collected at Cuchero, Huanuco, Peru R3379 seeds collected along the Rio Huallaga across from the hydroelectric plant, near Santa Rita Sur. |