* 



WINGED CARDAMOM OF NEPAL. 5 



macographia,' 1874, p. 588), was, as regards A. maximum, that in 

 Java " its fruits are sold for the sake of their agreeable edible 

 pulp," and that " we do not know whether the dried fruits or the 

 seeds are ever exported ;" and as regards the North-Indian Carda- 

 moms, that there are two sorts, the Bengal Cardamom afforded by 

 A. aromaticum, and the Nepal Cardamom, the fruit " of a species 

 of Amomum that has not yet been identified with any published 

 description." 



Having, in order to settle the source of the North-India Car- 

 damoms, procured from the Morung Mountains and from the 

 plains of Eastern Bengal living plants of the species of Cardamom 

 respectively cultivated in those districts, and having grown these 

 at the Government Cinchona-plantation in Sikkim, I was able a 

 week or two after the ' Pharmacographia ' appeared, to put Mr. 

 Hanbury in possession of complete specimens, and of a drawing 

 of the plant producing the Nepal Cardamom, and to identify it 

 with Roxburgh's A. subulatum. Regarding the identification, 

 Mr. Hanbury wrote as follows : 



20th November, 1874. 



" The drawing of A. subulatum, and also the specimens, are now 

 in my possession, and are very acceptable. I took the drawing 

 to Kew three days ago, hoping to compare it with one of Rox- 

 burgh's: but I failed; for the Roxburgh collection contains no re- 

 presentation of the plant, and the Kew Herbarium has no speci- 

 men. There is, however, no doubt regarding the correctness of 

 your determination." 



The source of the Nepal Cardamom may thus be regarded as 

 definitely settled. 



This Cardamom is pretty extensively cultivated by the inhabi- 

 tants of Eastern Nepal, and also by a few of the Nepalese who of 

 late years have settled in British Sikkim. It is essentially a 

 swamp-plant, and therefore comes in usefully as a crop for irre- 

 gular patches of ground by the sides of streams which are un- 

 suitable for any ordinary cultivation except that of rice, than 

 which it is more profitable. This species does not appear to be 

 found in the Khasia hills ; so that Roxburgh was right and Voigt 

 was wrong as to its home. 





