Costus zamoranus is described as a basal flowering Costus.
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It was dark and rainy and with the deep shade of the forest understory - this was difficult to photograph well.
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At the type location we found some variation in the flower colors. Here with creamy white corolla.
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Here the corolla lobes were dark pink.
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Comparing the two colors of the flowers and the peduncles.
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Note the deeper red color of the bracts here, and the darker pink cororlla and labellum.
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Here the bracts were red at the base and green toward the apex. The corolla was a creamy white color.
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The plant itself grows quite tall, here about 2 1/2 meters.
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We found about ten plants in flower in this small forest patch.
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Here is a composite of the bracts, bracteoles, calyx and flower.
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Flower with calyx intact.
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bracteole, calyx and bract
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Corolla lobes.
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The stamen, with apex entire, not split as in some others we found later.
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Hard to photograph but the stigma had the typical anchoring lobes as in most Costus sp.
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Here is a Google Earth view of the site. Note there is just one small forest patch remaining in the area - the only place we found the plant at Valladolid. The type indicated it was collected along the river at Tambo Valladolid. Satellite view is from 2008.
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And here is a photo today of that one small forest patch remaining at the type location.
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