Costus phyllocephalus
Costus phyllocephalus K.Schum.
Costus phyllocephalus is a terrestrial herb in the Costaceae family, native to several African countries including Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, and others. It grows in a variety of habitats, including primary and secondary rainforests, gallery forests, and wet areas near savannas or rivers, at elevations up to 1500 m. The plant is characterized by its green to purple leaves, appendaged bracts, and flowers with a horizontally flattened labellum that is whitish pink to dark purplish pink striped. It can be distinguished from similar species like C. ligularis by specific morphological traits.
Description
Costus phyllocephalus is a herbaceous plant reaching 0.2–3 m in height. It has leaves with sheaths 0.5–2 cm in diameter, ligules that are brown with a reddish upper margin, and narrowly ovate to obovate laminae measuring 10–31 cm in length. The inflorescence is ovoid to globose, 2.5–10 cm in size, with green to reddish purple bracts and boat-shaped bracteoles. Flowers are borne singly in bracts, with a calyx 10–27 mm long and lobes up to 4 mm long. The plant is notable for its fragrant flowers and can be distinguished by its long ligule and the nectar guide in the flower's throat. Some specimens show variation in bract appendages and transitions between leaves and bract appendages.
Distribution
Angola · Burundi · Cameroon · Central African Repu · Congo · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · Zambia · Zaïre
Synonyms
Costus dewevreiCostus fissiligulatusCostus fissiligulatus var. fissiligulatusCostus foliaceusCostus nudicaulisCostus ubangiensisCostus violaceusCostus nudicaulis var. pilosaCostus fissiligulatus var. major
