Costus
Costus deistellii
Costus is a genus of flowering plants in the family of Costaceae within the monocot plants ( monocots ). Some species of the genus are also called Costus or Spiral Ginger or somewhat misleading ornamental ginger. Belonging to the genus about 80 (formerly up to 100) types. 2006, several species have been divided into three new genera. The distribution is pantropical with a focus on the Americas and Oceania.
Description
Costus species are perennial herbaceous plants. They form rhizomes as outlasting. You are not aromatic, unlike their relatives, the ginger family ( Zingiberaceae ). Some taxa are succulent. The alternate and spirally arranged leaves are divided into simple and petiole and leaf blade.
The inflorescences have large, often brightly colored bracts ( bracts ). The hermaphrodite flowers are triple and zygomorphic. The sepals and the petals are each fused to a tube. Of the original six stamens in each flower is only a fruitful ( fertile ). The other five stamens are fused to the so-called labellum. The ovary is inferior.
The flowers formula is:
They are insulated draft tube, woody fruit capsules with many seeds. The black seeds have an aril ( seed coat ).
System
Synonyms for Costus L. are: Banksea J.Koenig, Jacuanga T.Lestib, Cadalvena Fenzl. . The Zander Dictionary of Plant Names recommends that the German name " Costus " for the genus, which has not been implemented so far in all the German common name for the species.
The genus Costus are still about 80 (previously up to 100) types. Here is a style selection:
- Costus afer Ker Gawl. (Syn.: C. dubius ( Afzel. ) K.Schum ): (Senegal, Nigeria)
- Costus allenii Maas
- Costus arabicus Vell. (Syn.: C. verschaffeltianus )
- Costus comosus Roscoe: From Central America to northern South America.
- Costus curvibracteatus Maas ( Spiral Ginger )
- Costus dubius ( Afzel. ) K.Schum.
- Costus erythrophyllus Loes. ( Red-leaved spiral ginger, red-leaved ornamental ginger)
- Costus guanaiensis Rusby
- Costus laevis Ruiz & Pav: From southern Central America to northern South America.
- Costus lima K.Schum.
- Costus lucanusianus J.Braun & K.Schum. ( Crepe ginger): From Central Africa (Cameroon, Congo ).
- Costus malortieanus H.Wendl. ( Spiral Ginger ): From Costa Rica
- Costus mosaicus W.Bull
- Costus oblongus SQTong: In China, forest edges at altitudes of about 1200 meters, only in southern Xizang and western Yunnan.
- Costus osae Maas & H.Maas: It is endemic to Costa Rica.
- Costus pulverulentus C.Presl
- Costus Ricus Maas & H.Maas: From southern Central America to northern South America.
- Costus rumphianus Valeton ex K.Heyne
- Costus spicatus ( Jacq. ) Sw. ( Syn: Costus cylindricus Jacq, Alpinia spicata Jacq, Costus stenophyllus Standlschmaus & LOWilliams, Costus tappenbeckianus J.Braun & K.Schum. .. . )
- Costus spiralis ( Jacq. ) Roscoe ( Spiral Ginger )
- Costus stenophyllus Standlschmaus. & L.O.Williams
- Costus tappenbeckianus Br.-Bl. & K.Schum.
- Costus tonkinensis Gagnep. China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan ) and Vietnam. Pharmaceutical use
- Costus viridis SQTong: It is endemic in the western part of China's Yunnan Province ( wanding Zhen ). The species thrives in moist places in the forest at an altitude of about 1000 meters.
- Costus woodsonii Maas
Note
The Indian Kostuswurzel ( Saussurea lappa ( Syn: Saussurea costus, Aplotaxis lappa, Theodorea costus, Aucklandia lappa, Aucklandia costus )), which (also Kostuswurzel ) returns the Costuswurzel, wearing only a similar name, but belongs to the genus of the Alps slits in the the daisy family.
Swell
- Delin Wu & Kai Larsen: Costaceae in the Flora of China, Volume 24, p 320: Costus - Online. (English )