Costus douglasdalyi 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 douglasdalyi Maas & H.Maas sp. nov.

Diagnosis.

Costus douglasdalyi sp. nov. (Fig. 11 ) can be confused with C. erythrothyrsus Loes., but differs from that species by its very narrow, often almost linear leaves.

Type.

Brazil Acre: Mun. Tarauacá, Basin of Rio Juruá, Rio Tarauacá, Seringal Sumare , 19 Nov 1995, Daly, Silveira, Costa, Oliveira, Lima, Figueiredo & Ehringhaus 8606 (holotype U1225319, isotype NY) .

Description.

Herb 1-4 m tall. Leaves sheaths 5-20 mm diam; ligule truncate, 2-3 mm long; petiole 3-8 mm long; sheaths, ligule and petiole glabrous to sparsely puberulous; lamina narrowly elliptic to linear, 20-35 × 2-7 cm, abaxially sometimes purple, glabrous to sparsely puberulous, primary vein sparsely covered with a row of erect hairs, adaxially glabrous, base acute to rounded, apex long-acute. Inflorescence ovoid to cylindric, 8-9 × 4 cm, enlarging to 13-17 × 5-7 cm in fruit, terminating a leafless shoot 45-70 cm long or rarely terminating a leafy shoot, sheaths obliquely truncate, 3-5 cm long, glabrous; bracts, bracteole, calyx, ovary, and capsule glabrous, apex of ovary and fruit sometimes sparsely puberulous. Flowers abaxially oriented; bracts red to dark red, coriaceous, broadly ovate, 2.5-4 × 2-3 cm, apex obtuse, callus 5-7 mm long; bracteole boat-shaped, 20-25 mm long; calyx red, 9-13 mm long, lobes shallowly triangular, 1-2 mm long; corolla red, pink, or pinkish orange, 45-55 mm long, glabrous, lobes narrowly ovate-elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 35-45 mm long; labellum pink to red, lateral lobes rolled inwards and forming a curved tube ca. 8 mm diam, broadly obovate to elliptic when spread out, 18-40 × 12-30 mm, irregularly 3-7-lobulate, lateral lobes striped with red, middle lobe yellow, 3-5 mm long, irregularly crenulate; stamen pale pink, 15-40 × 7-10 mm, not exceeding the labellum, apex acute, anther 8-10 mm long. Capsule ellipsoid, 10-15 mm long.

Distribution.

Peru (Ucayali), Brazil (Acre, Rondônia) (Fig. 21I ).

Habitat and ecology.

In non-inundated (terra firme) forests, campinarana, river margins, or roadsides at elevations of 0-350 m. Flowering year-round.

Etymology.

This species is named for our dear colleague and friend Douglas Daly, whom PM and HM met many times in his home institute at the New York Botanical Garden Herbarium (NY) and who enabled us to undertake field work in the Brazilian regions of Acre and Amazonas. He also inspired CDS during her graduate studies at the New York Botanical Garden, providing insights into excellence in field research and tropical botany.

Paratypes.

Brazil. Acre: along road from Cruzeiro do Sul to Barão do Rio Branco, NW of Cruzeiro do Sul, vicinity of São Francisco, 150 m, 25 Aug 1986, Croat & Rosas Jr. 62674 (MO, U); Mun. Cruzeiro do Sul, vicinity of Cruzeiro do Sul, between airport and downtown, headquarters of Rondon Project, 10 Nov 2001, Croat 85008 (MO, NY); Mun. Cruzeiro do Sul, km 6 of road from Cruzeiro do Sul to Boa Fé, Ramal dos Carobas, 16 Oct 2001, Maas et al. 8999 (NY, U); Porangaba, Rio Juruá-Mirim, 15 May 1971, Maas et al. P 12972 (INPA, NY, U); Porangaba, Rio Juruá-Mirim, 21 May 1971, Maas et al. P 13213 (INPA, NY, U); Cruzeiro do Sul, Sub-base do Projeto RADAM/BRASIL, próximo ao Aeroporto novo, 23 Feb 1976, Monteiro & Damião 601 (INPA, MG, U); vicinity of Serra da Moa, 22 Apr 1971, Prance et al. 12230 (INPA, NY, U). Rondônia: Mineração Taboca, proximo ao Campo de Pouso da Mineração 10 Oct 1979, M.G.G. Vieira et al. 369 (L, NY). Peru. Ucayali: Prov. Coronel Portillo, Distr. Caleria, Quebrada Pumayaquillo, left margin of Río Utiquina, 150-175 m, 10 Apr 2003, Schunke V. & Graham 15567 (U); Prov. and Distr. Padre Abad, carretera al caserio San Miguel y Mapuya, 12-17 km de la Aguaytia, 350 m, 1 Oct 2004, Schunke V. & Graham 16185 (U).

Notes.

Costus douglasdalyi looks quite similar to C. erythrothyrsus Loes. in its floral characters but differs by having very narrow, often linear leaves.

Figures

Figure 11. Costus douglasdalyi Maas & H. Maas A plant in habitat, inflorescence with flowers on a leafy shoot B in habitat, inflorescence on separate leafless shoot C flowers D plant in cultivation showing narrow leaves E, F bract and flower details showing bracts (br), bracteoles (bl), calyx (ca), ovaries (ov), three petals (petals), the fertile stamen (st) and the labellum (lab) A, B taken in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil C-F photos from plant pressed and accessioned as D. Skinner R 3482 in cultivation. Photos A-F by Dave Skinner.

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.