Gingersrus Database Taxon ID 7850Costus sp. AmithOLD NAME: Costus possible sp. nov. unnamed NEW NAME: Costus sp. Amith NAME CHANGE NOTES: Possible sp. nov., as yet undescribed and unammed, found in Pueblo, Mexico, specimens collected by Amith FULL SCIENTIFIC NAME: Costus L. STATUS : sp. nov. unnamed 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: This phenotype is proposed for future publication, but has not yet been given a proposed species name. In 2018, and continuing through 2021, Paul Maas and I corresponded with Jonathan Amith, of the Department of Anthropology at Gettysburg College. He was preparing an illustrated guide to the plants used by indigenous tribes in the Mexican state of Puebla, and was asking for assistance in identification. Several of the plant photos he sent us appeared to have the bracts and flower form of the Windward Islands species Costus spicatus, but had the short ligules consistent with the species Costus pictus. The plants also were quite simlar looking to the Costus cultivar registered as 'Tico Sunrise' which is of unknown origin, but believed to be either Belize or the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. Eventually Dr. Maas concluded that these plants represent a new and undescribed species, but he needed to obtain voucher specimens to study and select one as a type specimen. Refering to the Amith photo numbers, Dr. Maas wrote the following: "We have many photographs of Amith which in our opinion almost all are the same and new species: Amith 1501, 70048, 82154, Gorostiza 72020, Ledesma 21085, 21992, 22087, 70152, 70155, 78100, López 76138, 76207, Mendoza 1495, Velasco 40516. A name for that species: Costus pueblensis or do you have a better and more original name?". A description of this new species has not yet been drafted, but a sample from Costus 'Tico Sunrise' was sent to Cornell University and is pending DNA extraction.
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