Costus alleniopsis Maas & D.Skinner, 2023

Maas, Paul J. M., Maas-van de Kamer, Hiltje, Andre, Thiago, Skinner, David, Valderrama, Eugenio & Specht, Chelsea D., 2023, Eighteen new species of Neotropical Costaceae (Zingiberales), PhytoKeys 222, pp. 75-127 : 75

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.222.87779

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/09336D83-3917-5178-B7FE-6E7E4AC55868

treatment provided by

PhytoKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Costus alleniopsis Maas & D.Skinner
status

sp. nov.

Costus alleniopsis Maas & D.Skinner sp. nov.

Diagnosis.

Costus alleniopsis sp. nov. (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ) resembles C. allenii but differs by distinctly plicate leaves and a longer ligule.

Type.

Panama, Veraguas: Rio Segundo Brazo , 700-750 m, 8 Sep 1974, Maas & Dressler 1652 (holotype U1231561; isotypes F, MO-2193025) .

Description.

Herb 0.5-1.2 m tall. Leaves sheaths 10-20 mm diam; ligule obliquely truncate, 12-20 mm long, often reddish; petiole 10-25 mm long; sheaths, ligule and petiole densely brownish villose; lamina ovate to obovate, 25-32 by 13-16 cm, abaxially sometimes reddish, 10-12-plicate, adaxially and abaxially densely brownish villose, base cordate, acute, or obtuse, apex acuminate (acumen 10-15 mm long). Inflorescence ovoid, 6-7 × 3-5 cm, terminating a leafy shoot or rarely terminating a leafless shoot; bracts rather densely to densely brownish villose, bracteole, calyx, ovary, and capsule rather densely to densely puberulous to glabrous. Flowers adaxially oriented to erect; bracts green, rarely red, coriaceous, broadly ovate to ovate, 3-5 × 2-5 cm, apex obtuse, callus 5-7 mm long; bracteole boat-shaped, 20-30 mm long; calyx pink to red, 8-10 mm long, lobes shallowly triangular, 2-3 mm long; corolla yellow, 60-70 mm long, glabrous, lobes narrowly elliptic, 50-60 mm long; labellum yellow, distal edge horizontally spreading, broadly obovate, 50-70 × 40-50 mm, lateral lobes striped with red, middle lobe reflexed, with yellow honey mark, margin crenulate; stamen yellow, 40-50 × 12-15 mm, not exceeding the labellum, apex red, obtuse to irregularly dentate, anther 7-10 mm long. Capsule ellipsoid, 15-20 mm long.

Distribution.

Panama ( Coclé, Colón, Veraguas) (Fig. 21C View Figure 21 ).

Habitat and ecology.

In forests, at elevations of 200-1300 m. Flowering in the rainy season.

Etymology.

This species strongly resembles C. allenii , and the Greek word " opsis " (= likeness) refers to the resemblance with that species.

Notes.

Costus alleniopsis sp. nov. is restricted to Panama. It is closest to C. allenii Maas, differing by a longer ligule (12-20 mm vs. 2-10 mm) and distinctly plicate leaves. They both share adaxial oriented to erect flowers, a feature not often seen in the genus Costus .

Paratypes.

Panama. Coclé: Alto Calvario, above El Copé, ca. 6 km N of El Copé, 23 Jun 1988, Croat 68796 (MO, U); Alto Calvario, forest along Continental Divide, ca. 5 miles N of El Copé, 900-1000 m, 31 Mar 1993, Croat 75052 (MO, U); Caribbean side of divide at El Copé, 200-400 m, 4 Feb 1983, Hamilton & Davidse 2778 (MO); near sawmill, 8 km N of El Copé (28 km NW of Penonomé), 600-750 m, 1 Sep 1977, Maas et al. 2760 (U); Parque Nacional General Omar Torrijos Herrera, El Copé, Sendero Rana Dorada, 750 m, 31 May 2004, Maas et al. 9541 (U); above El Potroso sawmill at Continental Divide, N of El Copé, 1200-1300 m, 13 May 1981, Sytsma & Andersson 4610 (MO, U). Colón: MPSA Concession, around Petaquilla Tower, 23 May 2012, Hammel et al. 26342 (MO). Veraguas: valley of Río Dos Bocas, on road between Alto Piedra (above Santa Fé) and Calovebora, 350-400 m, 29 Aug 1974, Croat 27455 (MO, U); near the Continental Divide, ca. 15 km NW of Santa Fé, 800 m, 22 Oct 1980, Maas & Dressler 5006 p.p. (K, L, U); 16 km NW of Santa Fé, on road to Calovebora (Panamanian Highway 35), 300-500 m, 16 May 1975, Mori & Kallunki 6124 (MO).

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Liliopsida

Order

Zingiberales

Family

Costaceae

Genus

Costus