2968 



Leaflets of Philippine Botany 



[Vol. VIII, Art. 119 



Alpinia rufa (Presl) K. Schum. 



This species was also originally discovered by Huenke 

 in Sorsogon province, but on the south and southwestern 

 portion of Bulusan volcano it does not exist. In nearly 

 all of my previous explorations I have found it in 

 wooded alpine or subalpine regions. 



Alpinia congest a Elm. n. sp. 



Loose tussocks- Stems severally scattered, 3 m. 

 long, at least 2.5 cm. thick toward the base, terete, 

 dark green, with an onion- like bulb at the base, ascending 

 but the uppor two thirds recurved down hill. Leaves 

 alternating every 7 to 15 cm., slightly descending, flat 

 but margins wavy and recurved tips twisted, coriaceous 

 or subchartaceous and heavy, lucid on the upper deep- 

 er green surface, glabrous, edges fringed with grayish 

 white hairs, gradually tapering to the sharply and slen- 

 derly acuminate point, base broadly rounded, 3 to 4.5 

 dm. long by 14 to 18 cm. wide at or a trifle below 

 the middle, lanceolately oblong, short petiolate, curing 

 equally brown on both sides, rather smooth in the dry 

 state; midvein very stout, deeply sunken above, beneath 

 striate ^nd with some scattering hairs along its side; 

 lateral nerves more evident on the nether surface, obli- 

 que; petiole 2 to 3 cm. long, ascending, carinate below, 

 widely caniculate above, sparsely hairy or subglabrous, 

 5 to 8 mm. thick; sheath also carinate, dark brown 

 when dry, more or less hairy in the younger state, margins 

 thinner and brownish in the fresh state; ligule erect, 

 obtusely rounded at the apex, reddish brown, similar 

 in vestiture on the outer side, 1 cm. long. Inflorescence 

 terminal, erect, relatively small, subtended by foliaceous 

 bracts, unbranched, upon a short peduncle, 15 to 25 cm. 

 long; floral bunches alternatingly crowded from all sides 

 of the rachis, sessile, ascending, 6 to 9 cm. long; bracts 

 5 cm. long in the flowering state, glabrous, 3.5 coo. 

 wide across the middle, somewhat narrower at the base, 

 the margins around the obtuse apex obscurely strigose, 

 densely parallel veined, oblong, well enclosing the flower 

 bundle, persistent, 8 cm. long in the fruiting state and 

 becoming lacerated from the apex down to within a few 

 cm. from the base; boot or inner bract 5 cm. long, 

 striate, reddish tinged, becoming 2 or 3 lobed at the 

 apex, margins of the obtuse lobes pubescent as well 

 as the midrib on the back toward the top, also persistent; 

 calyx shorter, striate, rigid, brown, spathaceous, glabrous 



