Costus cochabambae Maas & H.Maas, 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

Costus cochabambae Maas & H.Maas sp. nov.

Diagnosis.

Costus cochabambae sp. nov. (Figs 8 , 9 ) superficially resembles C. comosus but differs by greenish appendaged bracts, a subglabrous corolla, a glabrous lower leaf side (except for the hairy primary vein), and a much longer ligule up to 25 mm long (vs. 1-3 mm).

Type.

Bolivia, Cochabamba: Prov. Chapare, Villa Tunari, 40 km hacia el Beni, por Chipiriri , 400 m, 24 Nov 1981, Beck 7320 (holotype LPB, specimen lacking a barcode; isotypes L, 2 sheets: L1480367 & L1480368 and spirit collection: L0303088) .

Description.

Herb ca. 1.7 m tall. Leaves sheaths 5-8 mm diam; ligule 15-25 mm long, unequally lobed, lobes obtuse; petiole ca. 5 mm long; sheaths, ligule and petiole densely to rather densely puberulous to villose; lamina narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate, 17-30 × 6-8 cm, adaxially glabrous, abaxially glabrous with primary vein densely villose, strongly raised and prolonged as a prominent rim into the sheaths, base obtuse, apex acuminate (acumen 5-10 mm long). Inflorescence ovoid, 5-8 × 3-5 cm, terminating a leafy shoot; bracts, bracteole, and calyx densely to rather densely puberulous, ovary and capsule densely puberulo-sericeous. Flowers abaxially oriented; bracts green, coriaceous, broadly ovate, 1.5-2 × 1.5-2 cm; appendages green, foliaceous, reflexed when dry, broadly to shallowly ovate-triangular, 0.5-1.2 × 1.2-2 cm, apex obtuse to acute; bracteole boat-shaped, 15-17 mm long; calyx 9-12 mm long, lobes shallowly ovate-triangular, 2-3 mm long; corolla yellow, 30-40 mm long, subglabrous, lobes elliptic, 20-25 mm long; labellum yellow, lateral lobes rolled inwards and forming a tube ca. 10 mm diam, oblong-elliptic when spread out, ca. 20 × 15 mm, dentate; stamen yellow, ca. 20 × 5 mm, not exceeding the labellum, apex dentate, anther 8-9 mm long. Capsule not seen.

Distribution.

Bolivia (Cochabamba) (Fig. 21G ).

Habitat and ecology.

In high forests ("pie de la ladera con bosque alto"), at an elevation of ca. 400 m. Flowering in November.

Etymology.

This species is named after the Bolivian department of Cochabamba, where it was collected.

Notes.

Costus cochabambae sp. nov. resembles C. comosus and is likely to be closely related to this species.

Figures

Figure 8. Costus cochabambae Maas & H. Maas Isotype photographed at Leiden, L. 1480367 including the photos enclosed with the specimen, Beck 7320.

Figure 9. Costus cochabambae Maas & H. Maas A habit B leaf base with ligule C stamen. Drawing by Esmee Winkel.

Figure 21. Distribution maps for new species of Costaceae: Chamaecostus - Costus douglasdalyi A Chamaecostus manausensis Maas & H. Maas B Costus alfredoi Maas & H. Maas C Costus alleniopsis Maas & D. Skinner D Costus alticolus Maas & H. Maas E Costus antioquiensis Maas & H. Maas F Costus callosus Maas & H. Maas G Costus cochabambae Maas & H. Maas H Costus convexus Maas & D. Skinner I Costus douglasdalyi Maas & H. Maas.