Cureuma. “MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA, 29 
parallel veins; of an uniform dark-green, with the nerves or 
ribs red, from twelve to twenty-four inches long, by five or _ 
six broad. Petioles and sheaths chamelled, smooth, and of 
a deep red colour; a projecting process on the inside marks, 
in all this natural order, the limit of the sheath, and the be- 
ginning of the petiole. Scape radical, lateral; cylindric, 
about six inches long, invested ‘in several, dark reddish 
sheaths. Spike tufted, five or'six inches long, erect. Coma 
less deeply coloured than in Zerumbet. Bractes, or scales 
of the spike exactly asin the other species, each embracing 
four of five flowers, which expand in succession, Flowers 
ental, ‘brigir yellow, rather longer than their’ bractes, fra- 
anit,’ T'wbe of the corol slender, its mouth completely shut 
wir three villous, yellow plands, ile we not seen ina re 
state. 
Obs, ‘Thé ovate oblong, pesittois tubers of fev del spe- 
cies of Curcuma, yield a very’ beautiful, pure starch, like 
the Arrow-root, produced from Maranta arundinacea and 
Tacca pinnatifida, which the natives of the countries where 
the ‘plants grow, prepare and eat. Ine ‘Travancore, “where 
$01 : Decie ; ; this four, or starch, forms, I 
: yar of the ‘diet of the inhabitants: My . 
ingustifolia is another species which yields the same sub- _ 
stante?” and Thave no doubt but the — weaned of = 
species yield it also, and equally good. siti 
Since writing the above, 1 have received from Cvidiavbit: 
Bhagulpore, and Mirzapore, plants of three other ores, ad 
employed = the same Puyo =n ; 
y Fe 
Poe” ‘comosa. R. ot aa bt et ee is alk 
Bulbs large, oval, suai bana ochraceous, Spies 
vate eC; vate fertile bractes of pale a ——, salealle ne is 
ome OOn Ms Felix Carey sent a 
yi to tie Weta pendan Calcutta, os rive 
