2894 



Leaflets op Philippine Botany 



[Vol. VJII, Art. 116 



Not Alpinia haenJcei Presl, Alpinia copelandii Ridl. nor 

 Alpinia illustris Ridl. Neither is it Alpinia trar.hyascua K. 

 Schum. The petiole of the latter is eight era long and 

 has a glabrous rachis even in the flowering state. 



Amomum propinquum Ridl. 



In the herbarium, Bureau of Science, there are nearly 

 a dozen specimens of this species in flower bnt without 

 leaves or at least authentic leaves. It seems to be widely 

 distributed, since Dr. Copland's number 843 from Davao 

 almost exactly duplicates my flowering number 6284 from 

 Bagnio and which Dr. Ridley used as the type. 



The fruit of this species is about as hard to produce 

 as is that of Homstedtki philippinensis Ridl., and while we 

 know the leaves of only one of these two species repre- 

 senting two genera, the flowers and inflorescences are quite 

 distinct to the casual observer. The inflorescence of Amo- 

 mum propinquum Ridl. is snbglobose, upon a stalk provid- 

 ed with short broad bracts, with whitish yellow flowers 

 whose lobes are broad. The inflorescence of HornMedtia phil- 

 ippinensi* Ridl. is much narrower, upon a very short stalk 

 if any, and whose flowers including the lobes are slender 

 and crimson in color. 



Amomun mindanaense Elm. n. sp. 



Small clumps; stems ascending, recurved toward the top, 

 1.25 cm thick, terete, green, several, nodulose at the base, 

 1 to 2 m high, the basal one third leafless. Leaves alternating- 

 ly scattered, reduced at both ends, more scattered below, 

 more numerous toward the top, flat, subcoriaceons, very 

 deep shining green above, duller beneath, glabrous, curing 

 greenish gray on both sides, the abrupt caudate tips recurved, 

 attenuate toward the base, sessile, margins wavy and ap- 

 pressed brown hairy, linearly oblanceolate to oblong, 2 to 4 

 dm long, 4 to 7 cm wide at the middle or above it; 

 sheath overlapping especially at the base of the stem, easily 

 separating from the stem toward the throat, brown when 

 dry, finely striate, glabrous except the long hairy exposed 



