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Costus

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Zingiberales Family: Costaceae Genus: Costus

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect, terrestrial or epiphytic perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems unbranched or branched.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, spirally arranged. Sheaths tubular, its upper margin together with base of petiole and ligule surrounding the stem, ligules short or long, truncate or 2–lobed. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences unbranched, spicate, terminal on normal leafy stems or on short leafless stems, primary bracts numerous, variously colored, usually imbricate, and coriaceous, sometimes appendaged at apex, each one subtending 1–2 bracteoles and these subtending a monochasium. Flowers bisexual (perfect), zygomorphic. Calyx connate, unequally 3-lobed, rarely exceeding the bracts. Corolla lobes unequal. Stamens 6 in 2 whorls of 3, but only the posterior one of the inner whorl fertile, the other 2 of the inner whorl adnate to the 3 members of the outer whorl to form a petaloid, often showy, 3–5-lobed labellum, fertile stamen large, petaloid, adnate to the floral tube at base and exserted from the funnel of the labellum; anther dithecal, the cells usually well–separated, often appendaged at apex. Ovary inferior. placentation axile; ovules numerous; style filiform.

Fruit: Capsules ellipsoid to globose; 3–celled; loculicidal or irregularly dehiscent. Seeds arillate.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Island Status

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 2 (1753)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
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