-Cureuma, MONARDRIA MONOGYN] Ay 21 
Others have since been procured from thence under the Ben- 
galee name Kuchoora, From that place the native. drug: 
_ gists in Calcutta, are chiefly supplied with the root or drug, 
Root consists, as. in all the other species of this genus, of 
ovate bulbs, giying support to the parts above ground ; from 
their opposite sides spring the palmate tubers ; these two 
sorts are inwardly of a pale yellow, or straw colour, and pos; 
sess an agreeable camphoraceous smell, and warm bitterish, 
spicy taste. From the bulbs chiefly, the proper fibrous roots 
_ issue: some of these are thicker than others, penetrate deeper 
into the soil, and end in an oblong, pearl-coloured, solid 
tuber; which is more spongy and less fragrant when cut, 
than. the bulbs and palmate tubers., Stems no other than. 
the | united sheaths of the leaves, surrounded by t two or three 
obtuse, smooth, green, faintly striated, appressed scales, 
Height of the whole plant about three feet, or three and a 
half. Leaves from four to six together, sub-bifarious ; 3; in 
* general a pretty long, somewhat winged petiole intervenes. 
between each and:its. stem-forming base. The leaf itself is 
broad-lanceolar, fine-pointed, and smooth on both sides; 
constantly a dark purple cloud rans down the centre; veins 
wmerou: fine, and. parallel; from one to two feet long. 
Scape rises distinct from the leafy stems, and rather before 
or with them, stout, from five to six inches long, and sur- 
rounded with a few, obtuse, lax, green sheaths, of various 
length. Spike tufted, from four to five inches long, (so that 
its apex is elevated nearly a foot above the surface of the: 
earth;) covered with imbricated, oblong, concaye bractes, 
connected by the lower half of their inner margins to the. 
backs of those immediately above, forming as many sacks, 
or pouches as there are bractes ; the lower half of these are, 
broad, shorter ; scarcely tinged ‘with red,. containing each 
three or four beautify seers flowers, which 
braced laterally by their 
hal eos owl coloured one, sahich form Ake sate are Be ae. 
