Costus Species Botanical Description

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Costus Species Botanical Description Botanical Description page for GingersRus plant database number " 7376 ".

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Photo# 15450 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' -

Photo# 15451 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - new shoot from base of inflorescence

Photo# 15452 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - inflorescence

Photo# 15453 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - from Cabo Matapalo, Costa Rica - inflorescence

Photo# 15454 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - base stems

Photo# 15455 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - from Cabo Matapalo, Costa Rica - leaf base and ligule

Photo# 15456 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - leaf base and ligule

Photo# 15457 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - leaves

Photo# 15458 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - leaves

Photo# 15459 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - inflorescence

Photo# 15460 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller'

Photo# 15461 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller'

Photo# 15462 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - inflorescence

Photo# 15463 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - bracteole and calyx

Photo# 15464 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - bracteole and calyx

Photo# 15465 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - bracts and appendages

Photo# 15466 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - bracts and appendages

Photo# 15467 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - bracts and appendages

Photo# 15468 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - bracts and appendages

Photo# 15469 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - bracteole and calyx

Photo# 15470 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - corolla lobes

Photo# 15471 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - corolla lobes

Photo# 15472 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - bracteole

Photo# 15093 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - flower

Photo# 15094 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller'- flower

Photo# 15095 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - from Cabo Matapalo, Costa Rica - stamen

Photo# 15096 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - from Cabo Matapalo, Costa Rica

Photo# 15097 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - from Cabo Matapalo, Costa Rica

Photo# 15098 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - from Cabo Matapalo, Costa Rica

Photo# 15099 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - from Cabo Matapalo, Costa Rica

Photo# 11687 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - habit

Photo# 11688 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - new shoot from base of inflorescence

Photo# 11689 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - inflorescense

Photo# 11690 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - inflorescense

Photo# 11691 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica base stems

Photo# 11692 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica leaf base and ligule

Photo# 11693 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - leaf base and ligule

Photo# 11694 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica leaves

Photo# 11695 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica leaves

Photo# 11696 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica inflorescense

Photo# 11697 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica habitat

Photo# 11698 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica habit

Photo# 11699 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica inflorescense

Photo# 11700 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica bracteole and calyx

Photo# 11701 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica bracteole and calyx

Photo# 11702 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica bracts and appendages

Photo# 11703 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica bracts and appendages

Photo# 11704 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - bracts and appendages

Photo# 11705 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - bracts and appendages

Photo# 11706 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - bracteole and calyx

Photo# 11707 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica corolla lobes

Photo# 11708 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica corolla lobes

Photo# 11709 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica bracteole

Photo# 11710 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica flower

Photo# 11711 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica flower

Photo# 11712 Specimen# R3208
Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller' - Cabo Matapalo near Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica stamen

BOTANICAL NAME: Costus comosus 'Cliff Dweller'
SUBGENUS:
GROUP:
SECTION:
PRIMARY SOURCE USED FOR DESCRIPTION:Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol II, 2003, Missouri Botanical Garden
SECONDARY SOURCES:
LAST UPDATED:
NOTES AND DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:Listed under Costus comosus in this reference is a plant from the Isle de Caño that has green bracts instead of the more common red bracts, "hojas hirsutas, vainas más bien puberulentas y brácteas verdes en vez de rojas, parece ser intermedio entre C. comosus y C. Villossisimus". This may be a new species, a hybrid of the two listed, or a form of C. comosus.

In the summer of 2005, I found a previously undocumented plant growing along the Pacific coast at Cabo Matapalo on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. From the description in this reference, I believe these are the same. I have set up a separate web page with photos and description of this plant at http://www.gingersrus.com/Matapalo.

I returned to the site in 2011 and examined the plants more closely. They were growing all along the steep slopes at the beach, right up to the edge of the sand, but were not found at all any farther up the slope. There were many mature inflorescences found but all were sterile, without any seeds, so either this is a sterile hybrid or the pollinator is absent from this area. This plant remains a mystery.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION:
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

0 to 0 cm 0 to 0 mm
Ligule

0 to 0 mm 0 to 0 mm
Petiole

0 to 0 mm 0 to 0 mm

Leaf

0 to 0 cm 0 to 0 cm

...upper

...under

...base

...apex

0 to 0 mm

Inflorescence

0 to 0 cm 0 to 0 cm

Bract

0.0 to 0.0 cm 0.0 to 0.0 cm

Appendage

0.0 to 0.0 cm 0.0 to 0.0 cm

Bracteole

0.0 to 0.0 cm 0.0 to 0.0 cm

Flower

0 to 0 cm 0 to 0 cm

Calyx

0.0 to 0.0 cm 0.0 to 0.0 cm

Corolla

0.0 to 0.0 cm 0.0 to 0.0 cm

Labellum

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

Copyright © 2003-2015 - Dave Skinner, GingersRus.com
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Plant Part	Length	Width
Rhizome	0 to 0 cm	0 to 0 cm
Sheath	0 to 0 cm	0 to 0 mm
Ligule	0 to 0 mm	0 to 0 mm
Petiole	0 to 0 mm	0 to 0 mm
Leaf	0 to 0 cm	0 to 0 cm
...upper
...under
...base
...apex	0 to 0 mm
Inflorescence	0 to 0 cm	0 to 0 cm
Bract	0.0 to 0.0 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Appendage	0.0 to 0.0 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Bracteole	0.0 to 0.0 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Flower	0 to 0 cm	0 to 0 cm
Calyx	0.0 to 0.0 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Corolla	0.0 to 0.0 cm	0.0 to 0.0 cm
Labellum	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