- Curcuma. MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 23 
long as the seed, tending to be clavate, both ends truncate, the up- 
per half lodged in the vitellus, and the lower in the albumen, or pe- 
- Obs. The dry root powdered and mixed with the powdered wood 
of the Cesalpinia Sappan makes the red powder called Abeer by the 
Hindoos, and Phag by the Bengalees. It is copiously thrown about 
by the natives during the Hooli, or Hindoo holidays in the month of 
March. The root is also used medicinally amongst the natives. 
In 1805, I gave some of the sliced and dried bulbous, and palmate 
tuberous roots of this plant to Sir Joseph Banks, which he gave to - 
Dr. Comb, who found that it was the real Zedoaria of our Materia 
edica, and by the same means ascertained that the Zoot a Cur- 
cuma doar, i is Zedoaria rotunda of the shops. ue ssa 
9. C. Zedoaria. R. NS 
Bulbs small, and, with the long palmate tubers, inwardly yellow. 
Leaves broad-lanceolar, sessile on their sheaths, sericeous under- 
neath ; the whole plant of a uniform green. , 
Amomum Zedoaria. Linn. sp. plant. ed. Willd. i. p. 7. 
Sans. Sez s, Vuna-huridra, StUsil, Sholee, FULT, Vuna- 
sista, SIT, Sholika. 
Beng. Junglee, or Bun Huldi, delà turmerick.) . 
Arab. Jedwar, or Zadwar. 
- This beautiful species is a native, not only | of ense aay com- 
mon in gardens about Calcutta,) but is also a native of China, and 
various other parts of Asia, and the Asiatic islands. Flowering 
time the hot season, the leaves appear about the same period, or 
rather after ; for it is not uncommon to find the beautiful, large, rosy, 
tufted spikes rising from the naked earth before a single leaf is to 
-be seen. id 
Root biennial, tuberous, &c. as in the es and Sonia of 2 a pre! : 
ty deep yellow colour, approaching to that of turmeric. —Stem uo 
ther than the sheaths of the leaves. — Leaves petioled,. broad- 
olar, entire, underneath covered With s soft perce dex a, Wi 
