i 2 : MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA, Amomum. 
Root tuberous, as in ginger, but much larger, and with 
large, conical bulb-like bases*to the oldest stems. Stems 
nearly erect, round, and smooth; from six to eight or more 
feet high, invested im the smooth, long sheaths of the leaves, 
Leaves alternate, petioled, lanceolar, and linear-lanceolar, 
acute, smooth above; villous underneath, with many large 
parallel veins; from two to three feet long, and about six 
inches broad; when dry the under side appears to be more 
closely covered, with most beautiful, soft, sericeous down, 
than while fresh, Petioles, the sheathing part long, between 
each petiole and its leaf there is a short, somewhat triangular 
portion, with a stipulary process, or ligula at the inside of its 
base. Spikes radical, short, their flower-bearing apex being 
only just above the earth; below the flowers it is covered 
with large, oval, concave scales, Bractes solitary, one- 
flowered, lanceolate, membranaceous, rather longer than the 
tubes of the flowers. Calyx tubular, a little gibbous, length 
of the tube of the corol ; mouth three-toothed.  Corol; tube 
funnel-shaped. Beteot border three-parted, as usual; but 
here they all converge upward into one helmet over the an- 
ther and stigma, as in the Orchidew. Lip entire, expanding, 
oblong, marked with a yellow stripe down the middle ; mar= 
gins waved, and crenulate, Filament short, from the wet 
of the tube of the corol, opposite to its interior border, on 
each side of its insertion, is a small hornlet. Anther double, 
or two-lobed, and crowned with a beautiful, broad, semi- 
lunar crest, Nectarial bodies of Kénig linear, fluted, and 
truncate. Germ short-pedicelled, striated, three-celled, with 
numerous ovula in each, attached to the inner angle, (axis, ) 
Style slender. Stigma fumnel-shaped, but shut transversely, 
except during anthesis. Capsule almost globular, size of a 
gooseberry, three-celled, three-valved, ornamented with nine, 
firm, sae ragged (when old and dry), —— 
Dos. Bish seeds possess a warm, pungent, somatic tite e. 
