and, at first sight, give the idea of some Orchideous plant. 
But it is truly one of the Scrramineg, allied, as Dr. Wa- 
LicH well observes, on the one hand to ALPINIA, and on the 
other to Kampreria: with the former it agrees in habit, 
and in its naked anther; with Kampreria in having the 
lobes of the perianth disposed in two alternating rows. It 
requires the heat of a stove, and seems to thrive well with 
the same treatment as is given to Orchideous plants. 
Descr. Root creeping, fleshy ; throwing up, besides the 
leafy stems, rounded tubers, marked with circular rings. 
Stems a foot to a foot and a half high, below sheathed with 
leafless scales, above with the bases of the leaves, which are 
auriculated. Leaves five to six inches long, broadly lance- 
olate, acuminate, pale beneath. Costa prominent below. 
Veins oblique. Spike of Flowers arising from the axil of 
the upper leaves, and closely imbricated in a distichous 
manner with green, lanceolate scales or bracteas, from: 
whence the flowers issue, three or four at once, and con- 
tinue to appear in succession for a considerable length of 
time. Calyx tubular, cleft above on one side, and bluntly 
three-toothed. Corolla white, or cream-coloured, the larger 
Segment with a rich, sanguineous spot with two white 
streaks. Tube slender, singularly curved at the apex, so 
that the limb is drooping, and six-cleft; the lacinie conni- 
vent in two rows, exterior of three equal appressed linear- 
oblong segments, inner of three unequal ones, of which two 
are short and unequal, and the lower one, or labellum, 
large, concave, convolute at the base, and then accrete 
with the stamens. Filament short. Anther large, oblong. 
Ovary oblong. Style about as long as the anther, Stigma 
convex, elevated a little above the anther. 
Fig. 1. Flower, from which the Labellum and the three outer segments 
of the Corolla are removed. 2. Inner view of the upper portion of the 
same. 3. Ovary and Calyx magnified. 
