Monographs Details:
Authority:
Maas, Paulus J. M. 1972. Costoideae (Zingiberaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 8: 1-140. (Published by NYBG Press)
Maas, Paulus J. M. 1972. Costoideae (Zingiberaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 8: 1-140. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Costaceae
Costaceae
Synonyms:
Costus anachiri Jacq., Costus quintus C.Roemer & Schult., Costus ciliatus Miq., Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw., Costus cylindricus var. ciliatus (Miq.) Petersen, Costus cylindricus var. anachiri (Jacq.) Jacq., Costus scaberulus Rich. ex Gagnep., Costus nutans Rowlee, Costus puchucupango J.Macbr., Costus tatei Rusby, Costus cylindricus Jacq., Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw., Costus igneus N.E.Br.
Costus anachiri Jacq., Costus quintus C.Roemer & Schult., Costus ciliatus Miq., Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw., Costus cylindricus var. ciliatus (Miq.) Petersen, Costus cylindricus var. anachiri (Jacq.) Jacq., Costus scaberulus Rich. ex Gagnep., Costus nutans Rowlee, Costus puchucupango J.Macbr., Costus tatei Rusby, Costus cylindricus Jacq., Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw., Costus igneus N.E.Br.
Description:
Description - Slender plants 0.5-3 m tall. Sheaths glabrous or rather densely to densely puberulous, 0.5-1.5(-2) cm in diam. Ligule obliquely truncate, 2-12 mm long, hairy like the sheaths. Petiole 2-10 mm long, rather densely puberulous to glabrous, rarely villose. Leaves narrowly elliptic, cuneate to rounded, or rarely cordate at the base, terminating in a 5-30 mm long acumen, 10-32 cm long, 3-11 cm wide, upper side glabrous to sparsely puberulous, costa densely strigulose (rarely glabrous), lower side glabrous to rather densely minutely puberulous, costa often densely sericeous under the lens. Inflorescence ovoid to narrowly cylindric, 4-10 cm long, elongating to 22 cm in fruit, 1.5-3.5 cm wide, to 4.5 cm in fruit. Bracts orange-red to red (eg 7.5 R 5/12, 5.0 R 4/12, or 2.5 YR 4/12), coriaceous, broadly ovate, obtuse, 2-3.5 cm long and wide, glabrous to rather densely puberulous, rarely densely strigose, margins of the covered part usually dilacerating into fibers, callus yellow, 2-10 mm long. Bracteole reddish, 9-12 (-17) mm long, glabrous to rather densely puberulous, Calyx reddish, 3-7 mm long, rather densely puberulous to glabrous, lobes very shallowly triangular, ca 1 mm long. Corolla orange to yellow, 35-40 mm long, glabrous, tube ca 10 mm long, lobes narrowly obovate, 30 mm long, 10 mm wide. Labellum yellow (2.5 Y 8/10), oblong-obovate when spread out, 20-30 mm long, 15-20 mm wide, lateral lobes rolled inwards and forming a tube of 5-10 mm in diam. Stamen narrowly elliptic, equalling or slightly exceeding the labellum, red (7.5 R 5/10 to 6/10) to orange-red, yellowish at the apex, 20-25 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, apex obtuse, anther 5-7 mm long. Pollen size 96-116 µ. Exine ca 2 µ thick. Porus diam ca 22 µ. Number of pores 8-12 (Florschütz & Maas 2474 from Suriname). Ovary 3-8 mm long, glabrous to densely puberulous, rarely sericeous. Capsule ellipsoid to subglobose, 7-12 mm long, glabrous to densely puberulous at the apex, seeds black. Chromosome number 2n = 18 (Florschütz & Maas 2789 from Suriname).
Description - Slender plants 0.5-3 m tall. Sheaths glabrous or rather densely to densely puberulous, 0.5-1.5(-2) cm in diam. Ligule obliquely truncate, 2-12 mm long, hairy like the sheaths. Petiole 2-10 mm long, rather densely puberulous to glabrous, rarely villose. Leaves narrowly elliptic, cuneate to rounded, or rarely cordate at the base, terminating in a 5-30 mm long acumen, 10-32 cm long, 3-11 cm wide, upper side glabrous to sparsely puberulous, costa densely strigulose (rarely glabrous), lower side glabrous to rather densely minutely puberulous, costa often densely sericeous under the lens. Inflorescence ovoid to narrowly cylindric, 4-10 cm long, elongating to 22 cm in fruit, 1.5-3.5 cm wide, to 4.5 cm in fruit. Bracts orange-red to red (eg 7.5 R 5/12, 5.0 R 4/12, or 2.5 YR 4/12), coriaceous, broadly ovate, obtuse, 2-3.5 cm long and wide, glabrous to rather densely puberulous, rarely densely strigose, margins of the covered part usually dilacerating into fibers, callus yellow, 2-10 mm long. Bracteole reddish, 9-12 (-17) mm long, glabrous to rather densely puberulous, Calyx reddish, 3-7 mm long, rather densely puberulous to glabrous, lobes very shallowly triangular, ca 1 mm long. Corolla orange to yellow, 35-40 mm long, glabrous, tube ca 10 mm long, lobes narrowly obovate, 30 mm long, 10 mm wide. Labellum yellow (2.5 Y 8/10), oblong-obovate when spread out, 20-30 mm long, 15-20 mm wide, lateral lobes rolled inwards and forming a tube of 5-10 mm in diam. Stamen narrowly elliptic, equalling or slightly exceeding the labellum, red (7.5 R 5/10 to 6/10) to orange-red, yellowish at the apex, 20-25 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, apex obtuse, anther 5-7 mm long. Pollen size 96-116 µ. Exine ca 2 µ thick. Porus diam ca 22 µ. Number of pores 8-12 (Florschütz & Maas 2474 from Suriname). Ovary 3-8 mm long, glabrous to densely puberulous, rarely sericeous. Capsule ellipsoid to subglobose, 7-12 mm long, glabrous to densely puberulous at the apex, seeds black. Chromosome number 2n = 18 (Florschütz & Maas 2789 from Suriname).
Discussion:
Costus scaber is widely distributed throughout tropical America, and according to the herbarium labels and the author’s own observations in Suriname and Trinidad, it is a rather common plant in clearings and on riverbanks. I studied ca 400 specimens and most of them could easily be identified by the characteristic, strigulose costa and a rather small cylindric inflorescence with orange-red bracts and orange-yellow flowers (the last two characters could only be used when good field annotations were available).In my opinion the "type material" of C. scaber in the Madrid Herbarium does not agree with the type diagnosis and plate. A photograph of that specimen clearly showed appendaged bracts, whereas the original diagnose of Ruiz and Pavon described them as unappendaged. This "type specimen" was assigned to C. guanaiensis, but a fragmentary collection in the British Museum may be regarded as isotype material of C. scaber.It is closely related to the following species: C. lasius, C. sprucei, C. zingiberoides, C. woodsonii, and C. chartaceus; a future investigation into their floral structure (until now only the floral structure of C. scaber is sufficiently known) may prove that they form a distinct group within the genus.The identification of some specimens was somewhat problematic:1. Some Peruvian specimens deviated by being glabrous on the upper side of the costa, they may represent a distinct variety. This was observed in the following specimens: Killip & Smith 22632, 26004., 26748, 27235, 28736 and LI. Williams 977.2. Another collection from Peru, Killip & Smith 29850, was aberrant in having small, linear leaves of 2.5-4.5 cm wide. I consider this feature as falling within the variation of the species. 3.Three Venezuelan collections, Ramia & Doreste 571 (MAR), Gines 4436 (US), and Porter sn (OXF), are characterized by entirely glabrous leaves and densely sericeous bracts. Further investigation may show these specimens to represent a distinct variety or even species.4.Some specimens from Chiriquí, Panama, are intermediate between C. lasius and C. scaber. Woodson (1945) already remarked that some of the specimens cited below were putative hybrids. Their description is as follows:
Costus scaber is widely distributed throughout tropical America, and according to the herbarium labels and the author’s own observations in Suriname and Trinidad, it is a rather common plant in clearings and on riverbanks. I studied ca 400 specimens and most of them could easily be identified by the characteristic, strigulose costa and a rather small cylindric inflorescence with orange-red bracts and orange-yellow flowers (the last two characters could only be used when good field annotations were available).In my opinion the "type material" of C. scaber in the Madrid Herbarium does not agree with the type diagnosis and plate. A photograph of that specimen clearly showed appendaged bracts, whereas the original diagnose of Ruiz and Pavon described them as unappendaged. This "type specimen" was assigned to C. guanaiensis, but a fragmentary collection in the British Museum may be regarded as isotype material of C. scaber.It is closely related to the following species: C. lasius, C. sprucei, C. zingiberoides, C. woodsonii, and C. chartaceus; a future investigation into their floral structure (until now only the floral structure of C. scaber is sufficiently known) may prove that they form a distinct group within the genus.The identification of some specimens was somewhat problematic:1. Some Peruvian specimens deviated by being glabrous on the upper side of the costa, they may represent a distinct variety. This was observed in the following specimens: Killip & Smith 22632, 26004., 26748, 27235, 28736 and LI. Williams 977.2. Another collection from Peru, Killip & Smith 29850, was aberrant in having small, linear leaves of 2.5-4.5 cm wide. I consider this feature as falling within the variation of the species. 3.Three Venezuelan collections, Ramia & Doreste 571 (MAR), Gines 4436 (US), and Porter sn (OXF), are characterized by entirely glabrous leaves and densely sericeous bracts. Further investigation may show these specimens to represent a distinct variety or even species.4.Some specimens from Chiriquí, Panama, are intermediate between C. lasius and C. scaber. Woodson (1945) already remarked that some of the specimens cited below were putative hybrids. Their description is as follows:
Distribution:
Mexico North America| Veracruz Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Honduras Central America| Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| Canal Zone Panamá Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| Haiti South America| Dominican Republic South America| Santo Domingo Dominican Republic South America| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines South America| Grenada South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Bolívar Colombia South America| Caquetá Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America| Guajira Colombia South America| Magdalena Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Anzoátegui Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Miranda Venezuela South America| Sucre Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America| Ecuador South America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Ayacucho Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Junín Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Madre de Dios Peru South America| Bolivia South America| Beni Bolivia South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America|
Mexico North America| Veracruz Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Honduras Central America| Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| Canal Zone Panamá Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| Haiti South America| Dominican Republic South America| Santo Domingo Dominican Republic South America| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines South America| Grenada South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Bolívar Colombia South America| Caquetá Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America| Guajira Colombia South America| Magdalena Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Anzoátegui Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Miranda Venezuela South America| Sucre Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America| Ecuador South America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Ayacucho Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Junín Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Madre de Dios Peru South America| Bolivia South America| Beni Bolivia South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America|