Costus Species Botanical Description

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Costus Species Botanical Description Botanical Description page for GingersRus plant database number " 4859 ".

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GO TO START PAGE Chamaecostus fusiformis
Chamaecostus fusiformis (Maas) C.Specht & D.W.Stev.

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Photo# 13179 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis bracteole

Photo# 13180 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis bracteole is tubular, bicarinate.

Photo# 13181 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis bracts

Photo# 13182 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis bracts

Photo# 13183 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis calyx and bracteole

Photo# 13184 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis close up of the stem and very short ligule and petiole, barely discernable.

Photo# 13185 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis inflorescence, not yet in flower.

Photo# 13101 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis

Photo# 13102 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis

Photo# 13103 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis

Photo# 13104 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis

Photo# 13105 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis - just starting to flower, this was a sunny location along the entrance road to Cristalino.

Photo# 13106 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis habitat, forest understory

Photo# 13107 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis plicate leaves

Photo# 13108 Specimen# R3250
Chamaecostus fusiformis undersides of leaves were purple

Photo# 13109 Specimen# R0
Chamaecostus fusiformis at http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6999534785_ab26c24c73_o.jpg showing tubular flower

Photo# 13110 Specimen# R0
Chamaecostus fusiformis at http://www.kew.org/science/tropamerica/cristalino.htm showing tubular flower.

BOTANICAL NAME: Chamaecostus fusiformis
SUBGENUS:
GROUP:Bracts not appendaged
SECTION:
PRIMARY SOURCE USED FOR DESCRIPTION:Maas, Flora Neotropica No. 8, 1972
SECONDARY SOURCES:
LAST UPDATED:
NOTES AND DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:This species closely related to C. curcumoides and C. lanceolatus. Illustration in Maas' monograph indicates long thin rhizome.

Photos to the left are of the plants I saw in Mato Grosso state in Brazil, in the Alta Floresta area and at the Cristalino Private Reserve. I was there in November 2012, early in the rainy season and most of the plants were not in flower or even beginning to flower. I found one patch in a sunny area along the entrance road to Cristalino that was starting to flower. Photos to the left are from those plants. Photos of the flowers can be seen at the Kew Gardens website at http://www.kew.org/science/tropamerica/imagedatabase/large1/cat_single1-1086.htm (see series of webpages 1084-1087.htm)
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION:Only twice collected, near Rio Tapajos, Para-Amazonas, Brazil
HEIGHT:0 to 0 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 0 cm
Sheath

glabrous to sparsely puberulous

0 to 0 cm 3 to 7 mm
Ligule

glabrous

1 to 2 mm 0 to 0 mm
Petiole

glabrous

2 to 3 mm 0 to 0 mm

Leaf Costa covered with densely minutely puberulous

Narrowly elliptic TO narrowly obovate
6 to 23 cm 2 to 5 cm

...upper

...under

...base

cordate

...apex

acuminate
5 to 20 mm

Inflorescence terminal on leafy stem

fusiform
6 to 7 cm 1 to 2 cm

Bract densely imbricate, 10-20 mm wide, callus 3-7 mm
yellow
sparse, minute puberulous
chartaceous
imbricate (overlapping), ovate-triangular
0.0 to 3.0 cm 1.0 to 2.0 cm

Appendage appendage not found on bract

0.0 to 0.0 cm 0.0 to 0.0 cm

Bracteole

membranaceous

0.5 to 0.8 cm 0.0 to 0.0 cm

Flower long and narrow

0 to 0 cm 0 to 0 cm

Calyx 13-15 mm long

membranaceous

1.1 to 1.5 cm 0.0 to 0.0 cm

Corolla tube 40mm long

0.0 to 6.0 cm 0.0 to 0.0 cm

Labellum Labellum & stamen conglutinata

0.0 to 0.0 cm 0.0 to 0.0 cm

Stamen

0.0 to 0.0 cm 0.0 to 0.0 cm

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Plant Part	General	Color	Hairs	Texture	Shape	Length	Width
Rhizome						0 to 0 cm	0 to 0 cm
Sheath			glabrous to sparsely puberulous			0 to 0 cm	3 to 7 mm
Ligule			glabrous			1 to 2 mm	0 to 0 mm
Petiole			glabrous			2 to 3 mm	0 to 0 mm
Leaf	Costa covered with densely minutely puberulous				Narrowly elliptic TO narrowly obovate	6 to 23 cm	2 to 5 cm
...upper
...under
...base					cordate
...apex					acuminate	5 to 20 mm
Inflorescence	terminal on leafy stem				fusiform	6 to 7 cm	1 to 2 cm
Bract	densely imbricate, 10-20 mm wide, callus 3-7 mm	yellow	sparse, minute puberulous	chartaceous	imbricate (overlapping), ovate-triangular	0.0 to 3.0 cm	1.0 to 2.0 cm
Appendage	appendage not found on bract					0.0 to 0.0 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Bracteole				membranaceous		0.5 to 0.8 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Flower	long and narrow					0 to 0 cm	0 to 0 cm
Calyx	13-15 mm long			membranaceous		1.1 to 1.5 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Corolla	tube 40mm long					0.0 to 6.0 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Labellum	Labellum & stamen conglutinata					0.0 to 0.0 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Stamen						0.0 to 0.0 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm