34 MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Curcuma, 
gives existence and support to the leaves, and spike ; from 
its sides and base long fleshy fibres issue, which peneirate 
deep into the soil ; some of which end in oblong, paler (pen- 
dulous) tubers. ‘Stems no other than the united sheaths of 
the leaves, Leaves radical, bifarious, petioled above their 
sheaths, ventricose, lanceolar, cuspidate, smooth on both sides; 
from six to eighteen inches long, by three to six broad; . q 
they decay about the end of October, and appear again 4 
with the first showers of April or May. The petioles 1 divide 
into two portions: the lower or sheathing part from six to 
twelve inches long; and the upper or proper petioles, from 
_ three to nine; the whole measuring in general, from one to 
two feet, Scape central, about six inches long, invested ‘in 
several alternate sheaths. Spike shorter than the scape, cy- 
lindric, crowned with a tuft ef loose, coloured, »pale «rosy, 
abortive bractes, Bractes oblong, imbricated, the lower 
half of their margins united to the backs of the two next 
above, forming a pouch, for a fascicle of four or five, rather 
small, yellow flowers, which expand in succession’; these have 
each a proper bracte, which embraces the tube of the flower 
canlly, oud may be called an inferior calyx. Calyx superior, 
: ally thrée-toothed, Corol with a slender tube; its 
south shut with three yellow hairy glands; faux sub-cam- 
panulate. Border double, both three-cleft, &c. as i in sheetae 
species, Germ oval, hairy, pS ae vel 
sngehediarhetl to sheis.conteah Bo Soest: 
- 
deep yellow. | Leaves scones a 
whole plant, (even the spike and coma,) ee 
a oe Amb. 5. n004: oar d 
