Monocostus is a monotypic genus of the family Costaceae. It differs from the rest of the Costaceae by having a single flower per inflorescence, although many flowers can be found on each pseudostem.
Monocostus uniflorus is native only to the Rio Huallaga valley (500-800 m). near Tarapoto, Peru. It produces gorgeous yellow flowers with a large labellum. It is said that the plants will survive temperatures above 50 °F (10 °C) and will continue to produce flowers year round in the perfect condition. This perfect condition is in the form of a greenhouse with constant mist and warm temperature. The plant grows to about 1.5 feet (45 cm) and is perfectly happy in a one gallon container. It also makes a good houseplant with somewhat low light requirements, although this low light prevents the plant from blooming well.
