Heather asked....
What do you mean the REAL costus curvibracteatus?
(I guess this would start another discussion thread!) Heather
The plant that is in cultivation in the US by that name is actually a South American plant - Costus productus. The true species Costus curvibracteatus was first named and described by Paul Maas in 1976, and is from Costa Rica and Panama. It is quite different looking, and in my opinion much more striking. The only photos on my website come from Barry Hammel of Missouri Botanical Garden and the Costa Rican InBIO. I was in Costa Rica in May and found this plant growing on the Carribean flank of the Talamanca Mountains. I have lots more photos now but have not yet gotten them loaded to my website. More info at
http://www.gingersrus.com/DataSheet.php?PID=4317
Dave Skinner
www.gingersrus.com
Costus curvibracteatus
So does that mean that the costus curvibracteatus 'Green Mountain' is really c. productus as well? I have a picture of 'Green Mountain', if you need one. BTW, I love the way the REAL c. curvibracteatus looks!
Yes, Costus 'Green Mountain' is a hybrid of Costus varzearum with Costus productus. Tim Chapman made the cross, but it was Stokes Tropicals that named it 'Green Mountain', a name that Tim does not really like. Stokes also put it in their catalog as a "Native of Central America" which it certainly is not, nor are either of the parent plants. Tim never got a dime for this wonderful hybrid - the first Costus hybrid to become popular in horticulture.
Thanks, but I have plenty of photos of 'Green Mountain' at http://www.gingersrus.com/DataSheet.php?PID=3352 . (Hmmm, somehow they have lost their links to the PID on my website - will have to fix that.) Anyhow, the photos show the green bract appendages and foliage color of C. varzearum with the flowers of C. productus. A really cool plant.
Dave Skinner
www.gingersrus.com