Fe 
= 
Piss 
Ba 
as 
Tas. 6908, 
ALPINIA motica. 
Native of the Malay Islands. 
Nat. Ord. SctramiInE&®.—Tribe ZINZIBERER. 
' Genus Aupinia, Linn. (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. iii. p- 648.) 
ALPINIA mutica; elata, robusta, foliis breviter petiolatis vaginisque glaberrimis 
oblanceolatisve acuminatis basi acutis lineari-lanceolatis, thyrsis robustis 
breviter crasse pedunculatis sericeo-tomentosis erectis multifloris, pedicellis 
brevibus crassis ovariisque subglobosis tomentosis, calyce 2 poll. longo eylin- 
draceo oblique truncato albo basi apiceque sanguineo, corollz alba tubo calyce 
incluso, segmento postico cucullato obtuso, lateralibus lineari-oblongis, stami- 
nodiis lateralibus brevibus, labello amplo late ovato aurantiaco sanguineo- 
nervoso, filamento crasso, anthere lineari-oblonge connectivo crassissimo 
pubescente apice obtuse 3-dentato, stigmate cupulari piloso. 
A. mutica, Rorb. Fl. Ind. Ed. Carey, vol. i. p. 65; Monand. Plants, t. 47; 
#1. Ind. (Calcutta Edition) vol. i. p. 67; Horaninov. Prodr. Monogr. Scitam. 
op. 34. 
This noble Alpinia was introduced into cultivation sixty 
years ago, but has long since passed into oblivion in so far 
as European gardens are concerned. It was sent by Dr. 
Roxburgh from the Calcutta Botanical Gardens, in about 
1825, to that of Liverpool, the latter at that time being 
extraordinarily rich in. Scitamineous plants. This was 
owing to the enlightened patronage of the late Wm. 
Roscoe, Esq., a wealthy merchant of that city, and the 
well-known author of the “ Life of Lorenzo de Medici.” 
The figure published by Roscoe is a very indifferent one, 
_ showing that the plant bad not attained maturity ; that here 
given better agrees with Roxburgh’s description. Accord- 
ing to the latter author, A. mutica is a native of the forests 
_ of Prince of Wales Island (Penang), whence it was brought 
to Caleutta by Dr. Roxburgh himself. The plant from 
_ which the accompanying drawing was made was presented 
to Kew by Mr. Bull, and came from Borneo; it flowered 
im the Palm-house in November, 1882, and again in April, 
1886. Roxburgh describes the stems as usually biennial, 
perishing after the ripening of the seed. 
pre. Isr, 1836. 
