Costus spicatus

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes

Common Names

Description

Family Costaceae

Herbs perennial , terrestrial , not aromatic , with fleshy rhizomes. Stems usually simple , often long, terete , sometimes spirally contorted, leafy; secondary branches (if present) breaking through leaf sheaths . Leaves spirally arranged , simple, those toward base of stem usually bladeless; leaf sheath tubular, closed ; ligule present; petiole short; leaf blade narrowly to broadly elliptic , rolled longitudinally in bud, glabrous or hairy , margin entire . Inflorescence a conelike spike, terminal on leafy shoots or on separate, short, leafless shoots arising from rhizomes; bracts imbricate, with linear , nectariferous callus below apex, 1- or 2-flowered; bracteoles tubular or folded. Flowers bisexual , epigynous , zygomorphic. Calyx tubular, 2- or 3-lobed or -toothed. Corolla proximally tubular, distally 3-lobed; lobes unequal, imbricate in bud. Staminodes 5, united into a labellum equaling or much longer than corolla, often 3-lobed with crisped margin, never deeply lobed . Fertile stamen 1; filament broad; anther borne below apex of filament or at apex with a connective crest , introrse , dehiscing by longitudinal slits. Ovary inferior, 2- or 3-loculed; ovules many per locule; placentation axile . Developed style 1, filiform , usually enclosed between anther locules; stigma with or without abaxial appendage . Stylodes 2, reduced to septal, hollow nectaries at apex of ovary, or absent. Fruit a capsule, 2- or 3-valved and dehiscing loculicidally, or indehiscent and breaking up irregularly, apex with persistent calyx. Seeds numerous , black, arillate .

Four genera and ca. 120 species: pantropical with center of diversity in America; one genus and five species (two endemic) in China.Delin Wu & Kai Larsen "Costaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 320. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Genus Costus

Rhizomes horizontal, tuberous . Stems sometimes branched, usually spirally twisted, leafy, rarely plants stemless. Leaf blade oblong to lanceolate. Inflorescences terminal or lateral on separate, short, leafless shoots arising from rhizomes, conical , densely many flowered; bracts imbricate, 1- or 2-flowered. Calyx 3-lobed or -toothed at apex. Corolla tube equaling or longer than calyx. Labellum obovate , large, margin incurved . Stamen petaloid ; anther locules linear . Ovary 3-loculed; ovules many per locule, superposed . Style filiform ; stigma funnelform . Stylodes absent. Capsule subglobose or ovoid , woody. Seeds many, black; aril lacerate .

About 90 species: tropical and subtropical regions; five species (two endemic) in China."Costus". in Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 320. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Physical Description

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 1,225 meters (0 to 4,019 feet).Mean = -170.400 meters (-559.055 feet), Standard Deviation = 1,111.250 based on 25 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.

Biology

Growth

Culture: Space 4-6' apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 6.1 • Maximum pH: 6.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 9b, 10a, 10b, 11. (map)

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Alpinia spicata Jacq.
2. Costus cylindricus Jacq.
3. Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw.

Notes

Publishing author : Jacq. Publication : Fragm. Bot. 54 Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication: Prodr. 11. 1788

Name verified on 05-Aug-2002 by ARS Systematic Botanists.

Similar Species

Members of the genus Costus

There are approximately 236 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

C. 'Maroon Chalice' · C. acanthocephalus · C. acaulis · C. acreanus · C. adolphi-friderici · C. afer · C. albus · C. allenii · C. amazonicus · C. amazonicus subsp. krukovii · C. amazonicus var. krukovii · C. anachiri · C. ananassae · C. anomocalyx · C. arabica · C. arabicus · C. araneosus · C. argenteus · C. arrabidae · C. asplundii · C. asteranthus · C. bakeri · C. barbatus (Red Tower Ginger) · C. beckii · C. bicolor · C. bingervillensis · C. bracteatus · C. brasiliensis · C. bullatus · C. cava · C. cernuus · C. chartaceus · C. chinensis · C. chrysocephalus · C. ciliatus · C. claviger · C. clemensae · C. comosus · C. comosus var. bakeri · C. congestiflorus · C. congestus · C. conicus · C. cordatus · C. crispiflorus · C. cupreifolius · C. curcumoides · C. curvibracteatus (Dwarf Orange Ginger) · C. curvibracteatus 'Green Mountain' (Dwarf Orange Ginger) · C. cuspidatus (Fiery Costus) · C. deistelii · C. dendrophilus · C. dewevrei · C. dinklagei · C. dirzoi · C. discolor · C. dubius · C. dussii · C. eburneus · C. edulis · C. elegans · C. engleranus · C. englerianus · C. eryterophyllus · C. erythrocoryne · C. erythrophyllus (Blood Red Spiral Costus) · C. erythrothyrsus · C. fimbriatus · C. fissiligulatus · C. foliaceus · C. formosanus · C. formosus · C. fortalezae · C. fragilis · C. friedrichsenii · C. fusiformis · C. gabonensis · C. geothyrsus · C. giganteus · C. glaber · C. glabratus · C. glaucus · C. globosus · C. guanaiense · C. guanaiensis (Cana De India) · C. guanaiensis Rusby var. macrostrobilus (K.Schum.) Maas (Cana De India) · C. guanaiensis var. asplundii · C. guanaiensis var. macrostrobilus · C. guanaiensis var. tarmicus · C. guianensis · C. guianicus · C. hasseltii · C. hirsutus · C. igneus · C. insularis · C. juruanus · C. kingii · C. lacerus · C. laevis · C. lanceolatus · C. lasius

Bibliography

• Howard, R. 1974–1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. (F LAnt)
• Maas, P. J. M. 1972. Costoideae (Zingiberaceae). In: Organization for Flora Neotropica, ed., Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 8:101.
• McGuffin, M. et al., eds. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. (Herbs Commerce ed2)
• Tsai Hsi-tao & Tong Shao-quan. 1981. Zingiberaceae subfam. Costoideae. In: Wu Te-lin, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 16(2): 148--152.

More Info

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Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 21, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• MBLWHOI Library: Universal Biological Index and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 17, 2008.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 25, 2008)

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 21, 2007:

• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2666301
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-501647
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13758676
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:872342-1
• GRIN Nomen Number: 426906
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 501647
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 796386-1
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: COCY2
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 20630

Footnotes

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