201. CURCUMA ZERUMBET. 
Root tuberous. Leaves elliptic, acute, clouded, smooth, petioled 
on their sheathing bases. Spike radical, appearing before the leaves. 
Amomum latifolium. Lamarck Encyclop. 1. p. 133. 
Amomum Zerumbeth. Kenig in Retz. Observ. 3. p. 55. 
Kua. Rheed. mal. 11. °t. 7. & 
Zerumbed. Rumph.amb. 5. p. 168. t. 68. 
Karchoora and Gandhamoolaka, are two of its numero 
names. 
Kutchoor, Catchoor, or Cachoraa of the Telingas. 
Sotee of the Bengalese, also Huridra. 
Zerumbad of the Persians. 
Root perennial, tuberous, about as thick as a man’s thumb, as 
in ginger, with many, long, fleshy, whip-cord-like fibrous 
ramifications, issuing chiefly from the crown of the tuberous 
part of the root, and base of the stems and scapes; these de- 
scend deep into the ground, and are often furnished with 
simple, ovate-oblong tubers, at a considerable depth below 
the first mentioned horizontal superficial tubers. The sub- 
stance of the first or superficial tubers, is of a firm fleshy 
nature ; outwardly of a light grey, and inwardly of a pale 
straw colour; they possess an agreeable fragrant smell, and 
warm, bitterish, aromatic taste. The oblong, more remote 
tubers, are of a more spongy nature, and possess less aroma. 
Stem, no other than the united sheaths of the leaves, surrounded 
by two or three obtuse, smooth, green, faintly-striated, ap- 
pressed scales. Height of the whole plant about three, or 
three and a half feet. 
Leaves from four to six together ; in general a pretty long, some- 
what winged petiol intervenes between each, and its stem 
forming base. The leaf itself is elliptic, fine-pointed, and 
smooth on both sides, constantly purple in the centre; veins 
numerous, small, and parallel; length from one to two feet. 
Scape rises distinct from the leafy stems, and generally before 
them, about five or six inches long, and surrounded with a 
few obtuse lax sheaths, of various lengths. 
Sprke tufted, four or five inches long (so that its apex is elevated 
nearly a foot above the surface of the earth), imbricated with 
oblong, concave bractes, united by the lower half of their 
inner margins, to the backs of those immediately above ; 
forming as many pouches as there are bractes; about the 
middle and base of the spike these are broader, shorter, 
scarcely tinged with red, and contain about three or four 
beautiful, yellow, sessile flowers each, which expanding in 
succession, are embraced laterally by their own proper, 
smaller, short, colourless bractes. The superior bractes, which 
form the upper part of the spike and tuft, are generally 
sterile, and of a deep crimson, or purple colour, or a mixture 
of these. 
Calyx above, scarce one-third the length of the corol, irregularly 
three-toothed, semi-pellucid. 
VOL. 11. 
Corol funnel-shaped. Tube a little curved, gradually widening. 
Border double: Exterior three-parted: the two lateral seg- 
ments equal ; the third, or upper one, vaulted, and crowned 
with a subulate point ; colour a very faint yellow. Interior 
ed: lower segment (or lip) broad, deep-yellow, pro- 
recurved, two-parted; upper segment of two lateral, 
Germ beneath, hairy. Style slender, at the base embraced by the 
two nectarial filaments. Stigma two-lobed, crowning the 
anther. 
It is a native of various parts of India; in Bengal, it generally 
blossoms in April. 
The dried root of this plant agrees tolerably well with that 
called Zedoaria longa in Europe, but not with the drug there 
called Zerumbet. 
The dry root powdered, and mixed with the powdered wood 
of Cesalpinia Sappan, is called Abeer by the Telingas, and Paag 
by the Bengalese ; it is copiously thrown about by the natives 
during the Hollee, or Hindoo holidays in the month of March. 
It is also used medicinally. 
This is one of six species of Gurcuma which I have figured, 
and described in India; all are plants of uncommon beauty. They 
have all tufted spikes, and calcarate anthers, which no other of 
this charming natural order, that I have yet met with, have ; con- 
sequently these are the best marks to know the genus by. 
202. GRATIOLA LUCIDA. 
Linn. Spec. Plant. Edit. Willd. 1. p. 108. 
Annual, with diffuse, four-sided branches. Leaves ovate-cor- 
date, serrate. Flowers long-peduncled, axillary, and terminal. 
Capsules ovate, hid in the calyx. 
Crusta ollz minor. Rumph. amb. 5. p. 461. t.170. f. 3. 
Stem scarce any, but several opposite, four-sided, smooth branches, 
and branchlets, spread on the surface of the ground ; their 
length from six to twelve inches. 
Leaves opposite, petioled, ovate-cordate, serrate, smooth. 
Flowers terminal, and from the exterior axills, long-peduncled, 
bright, deep blue colour. 
Capsule ovate, shorter than the calyx. 
A native of low, moist places over India. Appears during the 
rains, and blossoms in July, August, and September. 
