Costaceae
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| File:Tapeinochilos ananassae2.jpg | |
| Tapeinochilos ananassae of the family Costaceae | |
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Costaceae
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Costaceae, or the Costus family, is a family of pantropical monocots. It belongs to the order Zingiberales, which contains horticulturally and economically important plants such as the banana (Musaceae), bird-of-paradise (Strelitziaceae), and edible ginger (Zingiberaceae). The seven genera in Costaceae together contain about 100 species (1 in Monocostus, 2 in Dimerocostus, 16 in Tapeinochilos, 2 in Paracostus, ca. 8 in Chamaecostus, ca. 5 in Hellenia, and ca. 80 in Costus).[2] They are native to tropical climates of Asia, Africa, Central America, and South America. Several species are frequently found in cultivation.[citation needed]
Description
The simple leaves are entire and spirally arranged, with those toward the base of the stem usually bladeless. Leaf bases have a closed sheath with a ligule, or projection at the top of the sheath.
Costaceae is different from the other families of Zingiberales in that its species have 5 fused staminodes, rather than 2 or 3, and the Costaceae contain no aromatic oils. The fused infertile stamens form a large petaloid labellum that often functions to attract pollinators. The flowers are solitary in Monocostus. In the other genera, the flowers are borne in a terminal spike that ranges from elongate to nearly capitate. Each flower is subtended by a large bract. The fruit is a berry or capsule. The rhizome is fleshy with tuberous roots.
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Tapeinochilus ananassae.JPG
Tapeinochilos ananassae (wax ginger)
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Starr 030807-0069 Costus speciosus.jpg
Cheilocostus speciosus (crêpe ginger)
References
External links
- Classification of Costaceae
- Hellenia, the correct name for Cheilocostus At volume 151 At Online Content At Phytotaxa
- Distribution Map And Genus list At Costaceae At Zingiberales At: Trees At: APweb At: botanical databases At: About Science & Conservation At: Missouri Botanical Garden
- The Families of Flowering Plants by L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz.
- Family Costaceae
