Spiral Ginger (Costus pulverulentus)
Description
Costus pulverulentus is superficially similar to the plant sold as Costus scaber, except that the inflorescence is fusiform (longer and pointed) and the flowers are distinct with stamens extending beyond the labellum and the corolla lobes curling outward. Another way to distinuish it is by the fibrous, woody looking edges of the red bracts. It is a much showier plant, often producing several flowers from the bracts at the same time, rather than just one or two at a time as in Costus scaber. The blooms are terminal at the end of the leafy stems. It is one of the most common species in its range - only Costus scaber may be more numerous. The species is widespread in Central and South America, having a range from Mexico south to Ecuador. This accounts for the many forms of the species. The foliage is typical of other spiral gingers, medium green in color. The form in this listing grows to about 6 feet tall. There is also variance in the hairiness, some are particularly hairy (villose) and others are mostly glabrous (without hairs). Some are quite short, only growing to about 3-4 feet tall, such as the cultivar 'Pink Lips' (listed elsewhere). Below are some photos of the taller forms of this species that are included in the listing. According to other references, the cold hardiness has been rated as either zone 9 or zone 8B. I have not grown it outdoors so I cannot say for sure whether it would be winter hardy outdoors in areas with freezing temperatures. It should be grown in filtered shade to part sun, and will probably bloom better with an hour or two of direct sunlight.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Zingiberales
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Family: Costaceae
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Genus: Costus
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