Costus mollissimus Maas & H.Maas, 2023
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.222.87779 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/39BB13CA-64F0-54F7-B933-299D0FB382DB |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Costus mollissimus Maas & H.Maas |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Costus mollissimus Maas & H.Maas sp. nov.
Diagnosis.
Costus mollissimus sp. nov. (Fig. 13 View Figure 13 ) shares with C. dirzoi Garcia-Mend. & G.Ibarra a distinct velutinous indument on most parts of the plant, but differs by having appendaged bracts and a very short ligule. Moreover, C. dirzoi has bracts with a distinct callus, absent in C. mollissimus .
Type.
Mexico, Chiapas: Mun. Chilon, 22 km from Temo in the direction of Palenque, 2 km from Patathel , near El Chich , 850 m, 4 Nov 1998, Ishiki Ishihara, Maas & Maas-van de Kamer 2400 (holotype L, 2 sheets: L4368349 & L436835; isotype ECOSUR) .
Description.
Herb 0.5-2.5 m tall. Leaves sheaths 12-15 mm diam; ligule truncate, 1-4 mm long; petiole 10-15 mm long; sheaths, ligule and petiole densely velutinous; lamina narrowly elliptic, sometimes elliptic, 18-36 × 6-13 cm, slightly 5-8-plicate, adaxially shiny, glabrous, abaxially densely velutinous, base acute, obtuse, to cordate, apex acuminate (acumen 5-15 mm long). Inflorescence cylindric to subglobose, 5-13.5 × 4-5 cm, terminating a leafy shoot; bracts, appendages of bracts, bracteole, calyx, ovary, and capsule densely velutinous. Flowers abaxially oriented; bracts green, red, or pink, coriaceous, broadly elliptic, 2-2.5 × 2-3 cm; appendages green, foliaceous, patent to slightly reflexed, triangular to broadly triangular, 0.5-3.5 × 1.2-2.5 cm, apex acute to obtuse; bracteole boat-shaped, 16-20 mm long; calyx red to pink, 9-10 mm long, lobes broadly to shallowly triangular, 2-5 mm long, with a hairy tuft at the apex; corolla cream, yellow, or pale orange, 50-60 mm long, densely velutinous, lobes narrowly elliptic, 30-40 mm long; labellum yellow, distal edge horizontally spreading, broadly obovate, 30-40 × 40-50 mm, lateral lobes dark red with yellow venation, middle lobe reflexed with yellow honey mark, margin dentate; stamen yellow, 30-35 × 10-12 mm, not exceeding the labellum, apex red, slightly 3-dentate, anther ca. 8 mm long. Capsule broadly obovoid to obovoid, 12-17 mm long.
Distribution.
Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Veracruz) (Fig. 22B View Figure 22 ).
Habitat and ecology.
In forests (a.o. "selva baja/alta perennifolia") with Brosimum sp., Bursera sp., Calophyllum sp., Cymbopetalum sp., Dialium sp., Ficus sp., Tapirira sp., and Sloanea tuerckheimii Donn.Sm., at elevations of 200-1000(-1500) m. Flowering year-round.
Vernacular name.
Mexico: Apagafuego.
Etymology.
This species is named after its very soft indument on the abaxial surface of the lamina, the word “mollis” meaning soft in Latin.
Paratypes.
Mexico. Chiapas: Mun. Solosuchiapa, 3-5 km above Solosuchiapa, along road to Tapilula, 450 m, 26 Jul 1972, Breedlove 26463 (MO); Mun. Ixcomitan, 2 km E of Ixcomitan, road from Villahermosa to Tuxtla Gutierrez, 550 m, 11 Feb 1983, Martínez Salas et al. 3160 (MEXU); Mun. Pichucalco, 10-12 km S of Pichucalco, 8 Mar 1983, Ramamoorthy et al. 1790 (MEXU); NW end of Valley of Chiapas on road to Mal Paso, 41 km (by road) NW of Ocozocoautla, 350 m, 4-5 Aug 1965, Roe et al. 928 (WIS). Oaxaca: Mun. Santa María Chimalapa, Arroyo Milagrito, ca. 6 km SE of Santa Maria, 1 km from Vereda, which passes Arroyo Sanate, 230 m, 30 Aug 1984, Hernández G. 387 (MEXU, MO); Mun. Santa María Chimalapa, ca. 15 km ESE of Santa María, Vereda near Arroyo Plata, loma S of Río Milagro, 400 m, 3 Sep 1985, Hernández G. 1435 (MEXU, MO). Tabasco: near San Manuel, S of village along Río Mezcalapa, 11 Sep 1944, Gilli & Hernandez Xolocotzi 97 (MEXU). Veracruz: Las Cruces, Las Choapas, 250 m, 14 Jul 1970, Nevling & Gomez-Pompa 1526 (F).
Notes.
Costus mollissimus sp. nov. superficially resembles C. dirzoi García-Mend. & G.Ibarra, as both share the velutinous indument all over the plant, but differs in having bracts with foliaceous, green appendages and a shorter ligule (1-4 mm vs. 3-12 mm long). Costus dirzoi has bracts with a distinct callus that is absent in C. mollissimus .
In Maas’ treatment of Costaceae (" Costoideae ") for Flora Neotropica ( Maas 1972: 57), this species was erroneously included in C. guanaiensis Rusby as var. Costus guanaiensis tarmicus (Loes.) Maas.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.