Dimerocostus strobilaceus

Description

Dimerocostus is a group of plants in the Costaceae described as a genus in 1891.It is native to Central and South America. hey are herbs that reach a size of 1–6 m tall. Leaves crowded towards stem apex, narrowly ovate to narrowly obovate, 12–50 cm long and 3–12 cm wide, apex long acuminate, base cuneate, upper surface glabrous, below sparsely to densely puberulous-sericeous; ligule 1–2 mm long; petiole up to 25 mm long. Inflorescence a terminal spike, ovoid to cylindrical, 10–50 cm long and 4–7 cm wide, often with leafy shoots arising from the base or apex; bracts tubular, 2–6 cm long, glabrous to densely puberulo-sericeous, coriaceous, green; tubular bracteoles, 25–30 mm long; calyx 25–35 mm long; corolla 65–80 mm long, glabrous, white; lip showy, entire, 70–90 mm long, white; stamen petaloid, narrowly elliptic. Capsule ellipsoid to cylindrical, 25–50 mm long, 2-locular, woody, orange to brown; bright brown seeds, small white aril.3 The genus was described by Carl Ernst Otto Kuntze and published in Revisio Generum Plantarum 2: 687. 1891. 3 The type species is: Dimerocostus strobilaceus Kuntze (1891)