Tas. 4979. 
COSTUS Arer. 
African Costus. 
Nat. Ord. ScrraMINEH.—MoNnanpRIA MoNOGYNIA. 
Gen. Char. Calyx tubulosus, trifidus. Corolle tubus infundibuliformis, Limbi 
lacinie exteriores eequales, conniventes, interiores laterales nulla : ladellum max- 
imum, campanulatum, dorso fissum. Filamentum petaloideum, supra antheram 
intramarginalem longe lateque productum. Ovarium inferum, triloculare. Ovula 
in loculorum angulo centrali plurima, horizontalia, anatropa. Stylus filiformis, 
inter anthere loculos transiens; stigma bilamellatum, basi corniculis binis in- 
structum. Capsula trilocularis, loculicide trivalvis.. Semina plurima, arillata.— 
Herbze inter tropicos totius orbis, imprimis tamen Asia, reperte ; radicibus tube- 
rosis, repentibus ; foliis subcarnosis, vaginis petiolaribus supra folit insertionem in 
ocream oblique truncatam productis ; inflorescentia spicata, terminali v. rarius radi- 
cali, bracteis imbricata. Endl. 
Costus 4fer; foliis supra vaginam brevissime petiolatis elliptico-ovatis tenui- 
acuminatis, bracteis herbaceis muticis obtusis, calyce breve tridentato den- 
tibus herbaceis muticis, filamenti dorso glabro. 
Costus Afer. Ker, Bot. Reg. t. 683. 
This plant, though till recently lost to our collections, was in- 
troduced from Sierra Leone, by seed, to the garden of the Hor- 
ticultural Society, by the late Mr. George Don; but whether 
under the circumstances connected with its recent introduction 
in March, 1855, by Captain J. H. Selwyn, R.N., of H.M.S. 
Prometheus, I am unable to say. It was brought to this gentle- 
man’s notice on the west coast of Tropical Africa, as a specific 
against nausea. Living plants were, through the kindness of the 
Honourable W. Fox Strangways, presented to the Royal Gardens, 
accompanied by the followmg description :— 
“This plant comes from the Isles de Los, about sixty miles 
north of Sierra Leone, west coast of Africa. It is valued by the 
natives as a specific against nausea, from whatever cause arising ; 
and the part used is the stem, after stripping off the leaves, and 
peeling. 'The leaves however will probably be found to contain 
a considerable quantity of the active principle, as well as the stem, 
APRIL Ist, 1857. 
