A new combination in Australian Costaceae

[Extract] Costus potierae F.Muell. has long been recognised as an endemic Australian understorey herb from lowland tropical rainforest in far northern Queensland. The type was described from material found in the Tully region, and the species also occurs rarely in the Daintree region, and on Dauan and Moa Islands in the Torres Strait. The current status of this species under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 is endangered. In Maas (1979) C. potierae was placed as a synonym under Costus speciosus Sm. In the Flora of Australia treatment of Costaceae, Smith (1987) maintained C. potierae as a species distinct from the widespread Asian species C. speciosus based on the yellow rather than white flowers and distinctly smaller labellum. Within Australian herbaria C. potierae is recognised as a distinct taxon, with C. speciosus regarded as misapplied to this species (Australian Plant Census, 2010)