° 
360 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF [ Scitaminew. 
moms. The seeds of A. villosum, or rough-fruited Amomum, are exported from Java 
and the Molucca Islands in great quantities to China, where they are considered warm, 
stomachic, and strengthening. On the eastern frontier of Bengal, A. aromaticum ripens 
its seeds in September, which are gathered and sold to the druggists under the name of 
Morung elachi: though the seed-vessels differ in shape, the seeds have the spicy flavour 
of the lesser cardamoms. A. dealbatum is called bura-elachi in Silhet. (v. Roxburgh, 
Fl. Indica, and Asiatic Res. xi.) 
Along with these valuable products of this family, may be mentioned one which has 
generally been referred here, though without any proof of its being the produce of any 
Scitamineous plant: this is the fragrant root, burnt as incense by the Greeks and Romans 
on their altars, and called Costus by the ancients, which has been supposed by many 
authors to be the produce of Costus Arabicus. Dr. Roxburgh expressly states, that the 
root of C. speciosus does not at all resemble the Costus arabicus of the shops. I myself 
found the fresh roots almost insipid, and without any particular fragrance. The natives 
make a preserve of them, which they consider wholesome and nutritious. 
In the bazars, however, two or’ three kinds of root are met with, having a general 
resemblance to one another, and known by the name kooth, Arabic kust ; to this, koostus 
(xorroc) is assigned as a Greek, and koshta as a Syriac name. Three kinds are described: 
1. sweet, light, and white; 2. black, light, bitter, without fragrance; 3. reddish, and 
heavy, like bov-wood. These evidently refer to the three kinds described by Dioscorides, 
under the names of, 1. apeinog Acunos; 2. wdinos 3 3. cupiaxos. 1 was only able to meet with 
two kinds, one called koost-hindee, and koost-tulkh, Indian or bitter costus, and said to be 
brought from Mooltan. This is probably the xooroc wdixog of Dioscorides. The other kind 
is called Aust-sheeren, with the synonymes of koost-buhree and koost-arabee, which is of 
a light yellow colour, with a very pleasant fragrant odour, said to be brought into India 
from Caubul and Cashmere. It is said by the native authorities to be produced by a 
plant having a root like Atropa Mandrogora, without stem, with spreading succulent 
leaves. This root is found in every bazar, and is what, I believe, is commonly called 
Indian Orrice (Iris) rcot, and must form an extensive article of commerce. It does not 
appear to be produced in any part of India, though I am inclined to think that under 
the name puchuk, it forms one of the exports from Calcutta to China, where the substance 
is probably employed as incense. On comparing the specimens of the sweet Costus in 
my collection of Materia Medica with those of Puchuk, bought in the Calcutta bazar, 
I am unable to perceive any difference either in appearance or flavour. The whole will 
form an interesting subject of inquiry for travellers in Northern India, to trace these 
articles to the places where and the plants by which they are produced.* 
168. ORCHIDEZ. 
* Since the above has been in type, and since my “ Essay on the Antiquity of Hindoo Medicine” has been 
published » where I have (p.88) adduced from Garcias ab Horto, “ Est ergo Costus dictus Arabibus Cost 
aut Cast :—in Malaca ubi ejus plurimus est usus, Pucho, et inde vehitur in Sinarum regionem ;” I have been 
favoured with a visit from Mr. Beckett, long resident at Allygurh, who informs me that he used to procure 
this 
