Tab. 6832. 
ALPINIA ? pumita. 
Native of Eastern China. 
Nat. Ord. Sctraminem.—Tribe ZINGIBERER. 
Genus Atpinia, Linn. ; (Benth, et Hook. f. Gen, Pl. vol. iii, p. 648.) 
Atrinta? pumila; humilis, acaulis, surculis vaginatis, rhizomate repente, foliis 
petiolatis ellipticis elliptico-ovatisve acuminatis striato-nervosis petiolo in 
vaginam angustam elongatam longiorem producto, scapo petiolo multo breviore, 
bracteis oblongo-lanceolatis vaginato robusto flexuoso densifloro sericeo- 
pubescente, floribus parvis spicatis, bracteis 2-3-floris oblongis calycis tubo 
obseure 3-lobo villoso brevioribus, corolle parve tubo vix exserto, ento 
portion oblongo obtuso fornicato lateralibus consimilibus, staminodiis a, a 
nceolatis erectis, labello oblongo recurvo obtuso albo rubro venoso, marginibus 
grosse crenatis, filamento exserto latiusculo, connectivo dorso papilloso ultra 
loculos lineari-oblongos vix producto obtuso, stigmate aavellas truncato 
ciliato. 
A very remarkable little scitamineous plant, which I fail 
to refer satisfactorily to any published genus of the order. 
It differs from all described species of Alpinia in the 
scapigerous inflorescence, which is not terminal as in that 
genus, but on a separate short scape as in the section 
Geanthus of Amomum, in EHlettaria, &c. It differs from 
both these genera in the form of the anthers and in the 
long filaments, and is probably either the type of a new 
genus, or of a new section of Alpinia which would then 
contain plants with both terminal and radical inflorescence, 
as is the case in Amomum. 
Alpinia pumila is a native of the Lo-fan-shan Mountains 
on the coast of China, nearly opposite the Island of Hong 
Kong, where it was discovered by Mr. Chas. Ford, Super- 
intendent of the Hong Kong Gardens, whence he trans- 
mitted live plants to Kew in 1883, which flowered in April 
of the present year in a stove. 
Descr. Rootstock creeping, underground, as thick as a 
goose-quill, pale yellow, slightly aromatic, but not pungent ; 
shoots clothed with brown obtuse imbricating membranous 
sheaths nearly an inch long. Leaves two or three together, 
auGusT Ist, 1885, 
