Costus woodsonii (Red button ginger)

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Costus woodsonii Maas.

Red button ginger, Indian head ginger, red cane, scarlet spiral flag, scarlet spiral ginger

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Liliopsida	Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
Subclass	Zingiberidae	Gingers and related plants
Order	Zingiberales	Ginger, cardamom, turmeric, galangal, myoga, bananas, arrowroot, and others
Family	Costaceae	Plants found throughout the tropics, with 5 fused staminodes (vs. 2) and no aromatic oils
Genus	Costus	Ginger-like plants with spiraling stems
Species	woodsonii	Probably named for botanist and curator Robert Everard Woodson (1904-1963)

About plant names...

Costus is a genus with over 100 members, plants with spiraling stems that otherwise resemble ginger. This species is native to Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Colombia, found in North America as a cultivated plant. In Hawaii, it has become naturalized in some areas.

Identification: Shrubs are 24-36" (60-91 cm) in height (dwarf form), and up to 12' (3.7 m) for a larger form. Leaves are glossy, cordate, dark green, arranged spirally around the stem, and elliptical to egg-shaped. Flowers form at leaf tips, egg-shaped or cylindrical, never opening completely. Shiny, tightly overlapped bright red bracts bracts look a bit like a partially melted red candle.

Online References:

Www.gingersrus.com

Hawaiian Plants and Tropical Flowers

Www.rareflora.com

Costus woodsonii description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

9/27/2010 · Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii ID is uncertain

6/3/2017 · Hawaii · By Lisa Naumann

Range: Zones 9a-9b:

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