This very rare species, apparently endemic to Bolivia, was described from its type in the Las Yungas region of Bolivia. It has been recorded only one other place, in the Amboró National Park near Santa Cruz, by Michael Nee . The description by Paul Maas from the type was uncertain as to bract and flower color, but this plant matches in the ligule length and the fact that the small bract appendages tend to curl as shown in the lower bracts in this example. This plant is not consistent with any OTHER described species. The precise coordinates are available, but hidden from this observation due to the rarity of the species.

UPDATE 14-June-2020
Revising the determination on this observation. We now believe that this is the form of the original specimen of Costus guanaiensis that was collected in Guanay, La Paz, Bolivia, and so the currently identified plants by that name must all be changed, and this will be the new C. guanaiensis when a forthcoming revision to new world Costus is published.