COSTUS MACULATUS. 
MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
SECT. II. SCITAMINER. 
Grn. Cuar.—Anther double, attached to the flat surface of the petal-like filament ; filament intire, 
the anther; capsule three-celled 
Spec. Crar.—Spike radical 
extending beyond 
3 seeds numerous. 
3 scape short-jointed ; bractes imbricate, green 
3 stems hairy, spotted with red; leaves 
lanceolate, smooth on the upper surface, 
villous below ; lip ovate, fimbriate, white, with two 
yellow stripes from the base to the apex. 
Syy.—Costus Afer. var. (3) Rough Sierra Leone Costus. Bot. Reg. p. 684 ? 
DESCRIPTION. 
Roots tuberous; stems cylindrical, spiral, 12—18 inches high, very hairy, marked near the joints with red spots ; 
leaves alternating according to the course of the stem, lanceolate, smooth on the upper surface, but villous below ; 
petioles short, concave, hairy, terminating in a short ligulated sheath or oerea ; spike radical, jointed, about 
three inches high, capitate, imbricate ; flowers expanding in succession, 
and only in perfection one day ; scape 
hairy ; bractes ovate, obtuse, green; calyx superior, of one leaf, tubular, trifid at the apex ; corolla monopetalous, 
with a double limb; outer limb in three nearly equal, ovate, white segments, one of them reflected ; inner limb or 
lip broad-ovate, crenate, or fimbriate, and expanding towards the apex, with two broad yellow streaks down the 
middle, and a tuft of yellow filaments in the faux; filament simple, ovate, petal-like, erect, intire, reflexed at 
the apex; anther double, placed in the centre of the filament, rather nearer the apex than the base; style rising 
from the germen, without the subulate processes at the base, strong, erect, terminating in a lunate, concave, two- 
lipped, compressed, ciliated stigma, which is supported at the back by a membranous, erect appendage, slightly bifid 
at the apex; germen ovate, smooth. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Although this plant, which we have here denominated Costus maculatus, differs from the plant figured in Bot. 
Register, No. 683, as Costus Afer var. (a) by the striking peculiarity of flowering by a scape, immediately from the 
root, whilst the flower of Costus Afer is terminal; yet it is not for this reason alone, that we have been induced 
to consider it as a distinct species, there being other and perhaps more important characters, which have concurred 
in this decision. These diversities are founded on the intire habit of our plant, which will sufficiently appear on 
comparing it with the figure given in Bot. Reg. That this is, however, one of the plants referred to in the Bot. 
Reg. p. 684, as having been introduced by Mr, George Don, Collector to the Horticultural Society, we have no 
doubt ; but we cannot assent to the opinion there expressed, that it is only a variety of the species there 
given. Probably if the plant here figured had flowered when such decision was formed, it might have induced 
a further consideration; for although we may not suppose a radical or terminal inflorescence sufficient, in itself, 
to indicate a species, yet we know not, as yet, of any instance among Scitaminean plants, where this distinction, 
amongst others, has not characterized one; and we are not prepared to say, that me different economy by 
which a plant produces its fruit immediately from the root, or at me eae ie i ean . not always 
accompanied, as in the present instance, by other striking diversities, which may justify us in ma ing a more 
decided distinction than the mere term of variety seems to imply. 
