1986 A TEXTBOOK OF THEORETICAL BOTANY 



genus Amomum contains about 100 species, having flowers produced on 

 scapes from a rhizome. The flowers are protogynous. The I ndo- Malayan 



Fig. 1Q17. — Ziniiibey officinale. Ginger. The dried rhizome is 

 used. {After Schumann.) 



genus Elettaria, with one species {E. cardamomiim), furnishes the Indian 

 spice-seeds, cardamoms. 



The genus Curcuma with fifty-five species is economically important, 

 for the underground tubers of C. angustifolia furnish the East Indian 

 Arrowroot, while C. longa gives the yellow dye Turmeric, which is obtained 

 from the dried and ground rhizome. C. zedoaria yields Zedoary which is 

 used in the East as a perfume and a tonic. 



Hedychium (Fig. 19 18) is an Asiatic and Madagascan genus of fifty 

 species in which the flower has a long tube at the end of which spring the 

 narrow free parts of the petals and the larger staminodes and labellum. 

 The stigma projects beyond the anther. Several species are cultivated in 

 greenhouses where the brilliant yellow and red flowers borne in large racemes 

 are very conspicuous. (Seep. 1193.) Some emit a strong vanilla scent. 



The Cannaceae are a small family with only the single genus Canna, 





