61 
ROSCOEA purpurea. 
Purple Roscoea. 
MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Nat. Ord. ZYNGIBERACEX. 
ROSCOEA. Smith. Calyx tubulosus. Corolle tubus sursüm dilatatus; | 
limbi lacinie exteriores laterales angustee patentes, postica fornicata, erecta ; 
interiores laterales breves, posticê conniventes; Jabellum majus, bilobum. 
Filamentum brevissimum, carinatum, antherá incurva basi bicalcaratá termi- 
natum. Ovarium inferum, triloculare. Ovula in loculorum angulo centrali 
plurima, horizontalia, anatropa. Stylus filiformis; stigma globulare perfora- 
tum. Capsula trilocularis, loculicido-trivalvis. Semina plurima, arillata. 
—— Herbz nepalenses ; radice e tuberibus fasciculatis, caule erecto, folioso, 
spicà subcapitatd bracteatá. Endlicher, Genera Plantarum, p. 223. no. 1625. 
R. purpurea; spicâ brevi sessili intra foliorum vaginas inclusá, petalis exte- 
rioribus lateralibus collateralibus labello obovato undulato integro sup- 
positis pendulis. i 
R. purpurea. Smith exot. Bot. 11. 97. t. 108. Linn. Trans. xin. 461. 
Rees. Cyclop. Hooker exot. fl. t. 144. Rose. monand. pl. t. 86. Dietrich, 
sp. pl. 1. 38. Royle Illustr. t. 89. f. 3. 
This beautiful herbaceous plant has long been known, 
and frequently introduced to our gardens from India, where 
it inhabits the northern provinces; but it is rarely met with 
in cultivation. According to Dr. Royle “the whole genus, 
which is peculiar to the Himalayan Mountains, is that which 
among the Ginger Tribe is found at the highest stations. 
R. purpurea, now figured, the most common species 1n Nepal 
and Kemaon, is extremely abundant at Simla and Mussooree, 
and as far down as Jurreepannee. Roscoea elatior ìs found 
at Dhunoulthee; and with the former also in Nepal and 
Kemaon. Roscoea spicata, discovered on Sheopore and 
Gossain Than, occurs in the same situations as Hedychium 
* So named by Sir James Ed. Smith in honour of William Roscoe, Esg. 
the reformer of the Scitamineous plants of Linnaeus, of which this genus 
is one. 
November, 1840. Y 
