Volume 9 > Part 2 > Year 2008 > Page 106 > Costaceae > Costus

4. Costus speciosus (J.K.D.Koenig) Sm.wfo-0000363601

Trans. Linn. Soc. 1: 249. 1791; Baker in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 6: 249. 1892; Gagnep. in Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 6: 120. 1908; Ridl., Fl. Malay. Penin. 4: 256. 1924; Holttum, Gard. Bull. Singapore 13: 240. 1950; Maas, Blumea 25: 546. 1979; Wu & Larsen in C.Y.Wu & P.H.Raven, Fl. China 24: 321. 2000.— Banksea speciosa J.K.D.Koenig in Retz., Obs. 3: 75. 1783. Fig. 2: C; Plate X: 1.

Accepted Name : Hellenia speciosa (J.Koenig) S.R.Dutta
Pleione 7: 228. 2013.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Stem 1–3 m, branching with age in upper part, often spirally curved, lower half of stem covered by blade-less sheaths, upper half leafy, sheath ca 4 cm, green flushed with purple, silky hairy, at margin with longer hairs. Leaf blade oblanceolate-acuminate, up to 23 by 6 cm, widest above the middle, base rounded, upper side glabrous to appressed hairy, lower side from almost glabrous to densely sericeous; petiole 5–7 mm, appressed hairy. Inflorescence to about 10 cm long, 5-6 cm broad on a short, usually curved peduncle. Bracts 12–15 mm long, each subtending 1 flower, ovate, acute, green often flushed with red, with a narrow red fleshy protuberance up to 5 mm long, below apex glabrous to hairy. Bracteoles ca 10 mm, acute with ciliate margin. Flower: calyx green turning red, much longer than bract, up to 2.2 cm including the ovary, with 3 reddish, unequal teeth. Corolla tube shorter than calyx, lobes 3–5 cm, white or pinkish. Labellum 5.5–7.5 cm across, white with a median yellowish band with long yellow hairs. Stamen ca 2.5 cm long; filament when flattened 10–12 mm broad, yellow at apex, pubescent. Ovary flattened, ca 9 mm broad. Capsule red.

Thailand : Common all over the country.

Distribution : From India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and S China t Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, throughout Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines to N Australia and New Guinea. (“Ind. Orient.”, probably Phuket, Thailand – type: König -C).

Ecology : Occurring in a variety of biotopes from peat swamp forests in the south at sea level to hill evergreen forests in the north, e.g. on Doi Inthanon, up to 1,400 m alt. Also common in the lowland deciduous forests in the central and north. It is found on limestone as well as on granitic rocks, in sunny places as well as in shade, preferable on humid ground.

Vernacular : Ueang mai na (เอื้องหมายนา); ueang phet ma (เอื้องเพ็ดม้า)(Central); ueang yai (เอื้องใหญ่), ban dai sawan (บันไดสวรรค์)(Peninsular); ueang chang (เอื้องช้าง)(Nakhon Si Thammarat); ueang ton (เอื้องต้น)(Yala).

CommonName : Crape ginger, Malay ginger, Spiral flag.

Notes: Several varieties have been described in this polymorphic species. Most recognizable is the form with shining, sericeous leaf undersides, var. sericeus (Blume) K.Schum., l.c. It seems to have the same distribution as the typical form and is often found together with this.