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Botanical Description page for GingersRus plant database number " 4317 ".

You can select the botanical description of a different plant from this list: Click arrow to see list, then click GO Chamaecostus congestiflorus Chamaecostus curcumoides Chamaecostus cuspidatus Chamaecostus fragilis Chamaecostus fusiformis Chamaecostus lanceolatus Chamaecostus subsessilis Cheilocostus globosus Cheilocostus lacerus Cheilocostus speciosus Cheilocostus sopuensis Costus "El Whiskey" Costus sp. from Cabo Matapalo Costus acreanus Costus afer Costus albus Costus allenii Costus amazonicus Costus arabicus Costus asplundii Costus asteranthus Costus barbatus Costus beckii Costus bracteatus Costus chartaceus Costus claviger Costus claviger aff Costus comosus var. bakeri Costus comosus Costus cordatus Costus cupreifolius Costus curvibracteatus Costus deistelii Costus dewevrei Costus dirzoi Costus dubius Costus erythrocoryne Costus erythrophyllus Costus erythrothyrsus Costus fissiligulatus Costus foliaceus Costus gabonensis Costus geothyrsus Costus glaucus Costus guanaiensis Costus guanaiensis var. macrostrobilacius Costus guanaiensis var. tarmicus Costus juruanus Costus laevis Costus lasius Costus lateriflorus Costus letestui Costus leucanthus Costus ligularis Costus lima Costus longebracteolatus Costus lucanusianus var. major Costus lucanusianus Costus Maas species A Costus Maas species B Costus maboumiensis Costus macranthus Costus maculatus Costus malortieanus Costus montanus Costus nitidus Costus nudicaulis Costus oblongus Costus osae Costus phaeotrichus Costus pictus Costus plicatus Costus plowmanii Costus potierae Costus productus Costus pulverulentus Costus quasi-appendiculatus Costus ricus Costus sarmentosus Costus scabe Costus spectabilis Costus spicatus Costus spiralis Costus sprucei Costus stenophyllus Costus subbiflorus Costus tappenbeckianus Costus tonkinensis Costus vargasii Costus varzearum Costus villosissimus Costus vinosus Costus violaceus Costus viridis Costus wilsonii Costus woodsonii Costus zamoranus Costus zingiberoides Paracostus englerianus Paracostus paradoxus

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Costus curvibracteatus

Costus curvibracteatus Maas

Accession # R3268 identified as Costus curvibracteatus from Parque Nacional Tapanti at 1300 m, along the bank of a creek
Accession # R2973 identified as Costus curvibracteatus from Parque Purisil at 1364 m altitude, Costa Rica
Accession # R3032 identified as Costus curvibracteatus 'Pocosol' from Poco Sol area, Tilaran Mountains, Costa Rica, about 800 meters
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Photo# 15323 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus - Carla Black Garden

Photo# 15324 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus - Carla Black Garden

Photo# 15325 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus - Carla Black Garden

Photo# 15326 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus - Carla Black Garden

Photo# 15327 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus ligule - Parque Nacional Tapanti, Costa Rica

Photo# 15328 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus bracts - Parque Nacional Tapanti, Costa Rica

Photo# 15329 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus bracteole and calyx- Parque Nacional Tapanti, Costa Rica

Photo# 15330 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus - Parque Nacional Tapanti, Costa Rica

Photo# 15331 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus small flower- Parque Nacional Tapanti, Costa Rica

Photo# 15332 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus stamen - Parque Nacional Tapanti, Costa Rica

Photo# 15333 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus flower parts - Parque Nacional Tapanti, Costa Rica

Photo# 15334 Specimen# R2973 Costus curvibracteatus - Rio Purisil, Costa Rica

Photo# 15335 Specimen# R2973 Costus curvibracteatus - Rio Purisil, Costa Rica

Photo# 15336 Specimen# R2973 Costus curvibracteatus - Rio Purisil, Costa Rica

Photo# 15337 Specimen# R3134 Costus curvibracteatus - Cerro Gaital Panama

Photo# 15338 Specimen# R3142 Costus curvibracteatus - La Fortuna, Panama

Photo# 15339 Specimen# R3142 Costus curvibracteatus - La Fortuna, Panama

Photo# 15340 Specimen# R3184 Costus curvibracteatus - John Mood Garden

Photo# 15341 Specimen# R3184 Costus curvibracteatus - John Mood Garden

Photo# 15342 Specimen# R3184 Costus curvibracteatus - John Mood Garden

Photo# 15343 Specimen# R3184 Costus curvibracteatus flower parts, two different flower types - John Mood Garden

Photo# 15344 Specimen# R3184 Costus curvibracteatus, two different flower types - John Mood Garden

Photo# 15345 Specimen# R3184 Costus curvibracteatus - John Mood Garden

Photo# 15346 Specimen# R3184 Costus curvibracteatus - John Mood Garden

Photo# 15347 Specimen# R3184 Costus curvibracteatus - John Mood Garden

Photo# 15348 Specimen# R3184 Costus curvibracteatus - John Mood Garden

Photo# 15349 Specimen# R3243 Costus curvibracteatus flower parts - Cerro Gaital, Panama

Photo# 15350 Specimen# R3243 Costus curvibracteatus flower - Cerro Gaital, Panama

Photo# 15351 Specimen# R3243 Costus curvibracteatus flower parts - Cerro Gaital, Panama

Photo# 15352 Specimen# R3243 Costus curvibracteatus bracteole and calyx - Cerro Gaital, Panama

Photo# 15353 Specimen# R3243 Costus curvibracteatus bracteole - Cerro Gaital, Panama

Photo# 15354 Specimen# R3243 Costus curvibracteatus (red bracts) Cerro Gaital, Panama

Photo# 15355 Specimen# R3243 Costus curvibracteatus (red bracts) Cerro Gaital, Panama

Photo# 15356 Specimen# R3243 Costus curvibracteatus (red bracts) Cerro Gaital, Panama

Photo# 15357 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus ligule, Santa Fe, Panama

Photo# 15358 Specimen# R0 Costus curvibracteatus, Santa Fe, Panama

Photo# 17895 Specimen# R3367 Costus curvibracteatus at type locality, Tapantí

Photo# 17896 Specimen# R3367 Costus curvibracteatus at type locality, Tapantí

Photo# 17897 Specimen# R3367 Costus curvibracteatus at type locality, Tapantí

Photo# 17898 Specimen# R3367 Costus curvibracteatus at type locality, Tapantí

Photo# 17899 Specimen# R3367 Costus curvibracteatus at type locality, Tapantí - ligules

BOTANICAL NAME: Costus curvibracteatus
SUBGENUS:Costus
GROUP:2-bracts not appendaged
SECTION:II-Ornithophilus
PRIMARY SOURCE USED FOR DESCRIPTION:Maas, Flora Neotropica No. 18, 1977
SECONDARY SOURCES:Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol II, 2003, Missouri Botanical Garden
LAST UPDATED:
NOTES AND DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:Described and named by Maas in Flora Neotropica No. 18. Maas says this species is distinguished by it's slightly patent bracts, which are distinctively incised at the apex, at least in herbarium specimens. This plant has some similar characteristics to C. barbatus, but has smaller ligule and glabrous corolla.

Maas said a similar plant, but with its infl on a separate leafless shoot, was collected in Panama. I saw this also, on display at Atlanta Botanic Gardens.

The plant common in the horticultural trade under the name Costus curvibracteatus is really Costus productus, and the photos have now been moved there. Chelsea Specht and Dr. Maas have reveiwed those pictures and indicated this plant is actually Costus productus. It differs from the description below in several respects:
1. Long lobed ligules
2. The indument on the leaves
3. The distinctive curvature INWARDS of the margins of the bracts.
SEE COSTUS PRODUCTUS (PID#3789)

The photos to the left are the only ones I have seen of Costus curvibracteatus, shown here with permission from Barry E. Hammil. This more closely matches the descripton and the type specimen. It has been collected many times in Costa Rica under the Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Plants of Costa Rica project, exclusively on the Carribean slope (not the Pacific side).

The Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica says this species is characterized by its ligule with a red margin and bracts somewhat recurved and liberally extended, frequently colored "anaranjadas" with an indestinct callus. Furthermore, it is a species rather variable as its bracts can be from red to yellow and sometimes seem to have an appendage.

Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica also mentions a plant referred to as "Costus sp. 1" that is 1.5-3 m tall, leaves 35-48 X 9-14 cm, densely villose both sides, ligule 1-2.5 cm obliquely truncate, reflexed reddish margins, inflorescense on a separate leafless stem, ovoid or cylindrical, bracts white at base, red to orange, with yellow nectar callus, apex curved outwards, sharp (pointed?), red. Calyx 1-1.5 cm, corolla and labellum not known. This plant is found near the Arenal Volcano and near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui and is closest to C. curvibracteatus - but has the inflo on a separate leafless stem.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION:In forests of Costa Rica and Panama, 650-1500 m
HEIGHT:1 to 3 meters

Botanical Description for this Species
For illustrations or explanation of terminology, click on the linked plant part or column header.
Descriptions used for plant identification key are shown in BOLD.

Plant Part	General	Color	Hairs	Texture	Shape	Length	Width
Rhizome						0 to 0 cm	0 to 20 cm
Sheath			densely hirsute			0 to 0 cm	12 to 20 mm
Ligule	short, 5-10 mm		hairy like sheaths		lobes rounded	5 to 10 mm	0 to 0 mm
Petiole			densely hirsute to strigose			5 to 15 mm	0 to 0 mm
Leaf	Costa & margins often strigose				narowly elliptic to narrowly obovate	20 to 35 cm	6 to 10 cm
...upper			glabrous, ciliate
...under			densely hirsute-strigose
...base					cuneate to rounded
...apex					acute to acuminate	0 to 20 mm
Inflorescence	terminal on a leafy stem.				ovoid to broadly ovoid	6 to 18 cm	3 to 9 cm
Bract	apex curved outwards, callus absent or subobsolete, yellow	orange, red or yellowish	glabrous to densely stigose	thick, coriaceous	variable	4.5 to 5.0 cm	2.0 to 3.5 cm
Appendage	none					0.0 to 0.0 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Bracteole		red to reddish orange	sparsely strigulose		boat shape	1.8 to 2.8 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Flower						0 to 0 cm	0 to 0 cm
Calyx	10-15 mm	red to reddish orange	sparsely strigulose		lobes shallowly triangular to deltate	1.0 to 1.5 cm	0.9 to 1.0 cm
Corolla	tube 10mm	yellow to orange	glabrous			3.7 to 4.0 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Labellum	lateral lobes involute and forming a tube ca 10mm diam & 3-6 mm long	yellow tinged with orange			oblong-ovate	2.5 to 3.0 cm	2.0 to 2.2 cm
Stamen	anther 9 mm by 5-6 mm	yellow tinged with orange			apex cucullate, rounded	2.8 to 3.5 cm	1.1 to 1.2 cm

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