I just got this plant from my local very cool Ecuadorean nursery. It was listed as 'Copstus sanguineus'. At first, I thought that there had simply misspelled COSTUS and that this was the Costus sanguineus ginger (I have one). But on looking at the plant, I realized its not a ginger. The blooms in the photos they showed are basilar, blue/purple, 3 petals, with filamentous edges. They also had it listed as a member of the family Marantaceae.

So I started looking...I cannot find ANY genus 'COPSTUS'. In Marantas, or anywhere else. And I looked at a tom of Marantaceae photos from many different true geniuses and could not find a match

So my second thought was that perhaps COPSTUS is a newly described genus. Or, a very OLD genus name that is no longer used. But either should show up in a search.

Does anyone know what this is? Its not in bloom, but if you Google it the only entry that comes up is the place I got it from

Are you able to add a pic of the stems?

I've been googling and found something with a similar looking bloom in the Commelinaceae family but the leaves don't match. Geogenanthus ciliatus from Ecuador: https://www.flickr.com/photos/...

Maybe a misspelling? Costus http://www.gingersrus.com/Data...

plantladylin said:I've been googling and found something with a similar looking bloom in the Commelinaceae family but the leaves don't match. Geogenanthus ciliatus from Ecuador: https://www.flickr.com/photos/...

Funny you should say this Lin! I sent a query to Dr. Alistair Hay, former curator of the Royal Botanical Gardens, and he said it is definitely a member of the Commelinaceae but did not know which one. So he put he in touch with an expert on that family. I hope to have an ID soon!

I love those leaves and my first thought was possibly something in the Gesneriad family but then I came across Commelinaceae that looked similar. Keep me posted, I'm really curious!

Me too, would love to see the stems. Something in Tinantia or Aneilema seems promising.

I looked through a lot of Tinantia photos but got sidetracked with adding what info to the database I could find for T. erecta and I saw a few pic's when googling of Aneilema but none with purple flowers that looked like Eucagenera's bloom photo. I also don't see a resemblance of the leaves of Gina's plant to those in Eucagenera's photos of the plant they list as "Copstus"/Copstus sanguineus. https://www.ecuagenera.com/Cop...

LOL, Lin! I was on the same site at one point too!

plantladylin said:I looked through a lot of Tinantia photos but got sidetracked with adding what info to the database I could find for T. erecta and I saw a few pic's when googling of Aneilema but none with purple flowers that looked like Eucagenera's bloom photo. I also don't see a resemblance of the leaves of Gina's plant to those in Eucagenera's photos of the plant they list as "Copstus"/Copstus sanguineus. https://www.ecuagenera.com/Cop...

That isn't the same plant. Look on the website for EcuageraUSA not Ecuador. I got the one labeled 'mini'

The flowers look like Cyanotis. But none of the Cyanotis leaves match.

I think I found the correct genus...I think its a Geogenanthus. Ecuagenera has one on their site called 'sp. TAISHA' which is not the one I have...this one must be a different one

I see two listings at Ecuagenera, one they have listed as Geogenanthus sp. Taisha and they have another listing for a Rodospatha sp. Taisha - neither with photos. Geogenanthus is in genus Commelinaceae and I could not find any plant with the spelling Rodospatha so I think Eucagenera must have trouble in translation. There is an Aroid plant spelled Rhodospatha.

According to the Catalogue of Life, there are 3 species of Geogenanthus:
G. ciliatus
G. poeppigii
G. rhizanthus

I googled for photos of those three species but found nothing similar to the plant in your photo.

Probably another case of mislabeling. The expert said when I get a bloom to send him a photo. Until then, I guess its an unknown LOL

Yeah Rhodospatha is an aroid, and it comes from Ecuador and Peru and that area...so it makes sense they might have some of those. I have never actually seen a live Rhodospatha. I don't think they are all that common in the US trade

It's cute, whatever it is. I can see what it appealed to you.

I contacted Ecuagenera and told them that I could not find any online record of this genus even as a synonym and that its flowers didn't look like any of the genera in the Marantaceae family and could they direct me to the publication of the genus Copstus. This is their reply.

With any luck a description will be published and you'll be the first to own a delightful new genus or one of our amateur sleuths will track it down in the Commelinaceae and you'll have a new species that we all envy. Just as an aside when I first saw the pictures it reminded me of 'Blue Ginger' (dichorisandra) accept for the flowers at the wrong spot. Other than the confusion over what it might be it's a great find.

That doesn't make much sense to me, how could they be already selling a plant so unusual it has not even been formally described yet, assuming that's what they mean by "registered". Unless perhaps it is a hybrid they've created between two different genera.

@sooby, Ecuagenera sells many many undescribed species and hybrids. Generally, the will label them 'aff' (meaning 'has an affinity to) of 'like', or give them a number as in Gymnopus 1, Angamarcanum 2, etc. They grow most of their plants on large growing operations that are actually in the edges of the jungle, and there are many plants that have simply not been described yet. Dr. Thomas Croat and many other botanists have been there, Dr. Croat most recently in 2019, where he documented and collected several species of aroids to bring back for scientific description. They also do hybridize plants, and grow many from seed. When you buy from them, part of the allure is that you may be getting a new, undescribed species

Gina1960 said: When you buy from them, part of the allure is that you may be getting a new, undescribed species

Presumably, then, if the genus and specific epithet they have sold it under is not accepted, you have to figure out what it is some time later?