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Costus woodsonii Maas.

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

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassLiliopsidaMonocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
SubclassZingiberidaeGingers and related plants
OrderZingiberalesGinger, cardamom, turmeric, galangal, myoga, bananas, arrowroot, and others
FamilyCostaceaePlants found throughout the tropics, with 5 fused staminodes (vs. 2) and no aromatic oils
GenusCostusGinger-like plants with spiraling stems
SpecieswoodsoniiProbably 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 2-3′ (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.

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Costus woodsonii (red button ginger, Indian head ginger, red cane, scarlet spiral flag, scarlet spiral ginger)

3/5/2001 · Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii ID is uncertain

Costus woodsonii (red button ginger, Indian head ginger, red cane, scarlet spiral flag, scarlet spiral ginger)

6/3/2017 · Hawaii · By Lisa Naumann

Range: Zones 9a-9b:

About this map...