ELETTARIA CARDAMOMUM. 55 
the ovary, calyx, and the greater part of the tube of the corolla. Flowers rather small, when compared with the rest 
of this natural order. Calyx tubular, opening on one side, three-toothed. Corolla with a double limb: outer of three 
nearly equal oblong segments, inner or three-lobed lip of a dark purple colour. Sterile stamens subulate. Filament 
short. Anthers oblong, double, crowned with a long, curved tapering grooved horn. Ovary oval, three-celled, with 
many ovules ineach. Style filiform. Stigma funnel-shaped, ciliate, lodged just under the apex of the horn of the 
anther. (Lindley.) , 
The Ginger plant is a native of the tropics, growing both in the East and West Indies. It is cultivated for the 
sake of the rhizoma, which is the portion used. 
When the root is a year old, it is dug from the ground, picked, cleaned and scalded. If dried in this state, it is 
called black ginger; if the epidermis be scraped off, and then the root dried, it constitutes mhite ginger. The first 
comes from the East Indies, the latter from Jamaica. Pereira suspects that there is a difference in the plants afford- 
ing the one or the other. 
Black Ginger occurs in flattish, branched or lobed palmate pieces (races), from two to four inches in length, 
covered with a wrinkled brown epidermis, breaking with a short fracture, mealy and fibrous internally, and resinous 
immediately beneath the epidermis. Sometimes it is white from the application of lime, which is made to cover the 
pieces to protect them from insects. Its odour is aromatic, and its taste warm and slightly bitter. 
White Ginger occurs in similarly shaped pieces, white, smooth, starchy externally, and destitute of epidermis. 
The roots of the ginger are constantly imported in the fresh state. It is brought sometimes in a beautiful white pow- 
der in canisters from London. The ingredients of ginger are volatile oil, resin and starch, gum, fibre, ozmazome, 
acetic acid and salts. 
It is aromatic, cordial, stimulating and carminative, used as a condiment or medicine. The officinal prepara- 
tion is the tincture. A fine preserve is prepared from it. 
PiaTe XCVIII.—Represents the plant in leaf, in flower, and the flower enlarged. 
ELETTARIA CARDAMOMUM. 
MATON. 
OFFICINAL CARDAMOM. 
Amomum Rerens.—Sonerat. 
Amomum Carpamomum.— White. 
Apinta REPENS.— Smith. 
pee CarpamMomum.—Roscoe. 7 
Ex. Syst.—Monandria, Monogynia. : : ‘herried, three-celled te 
oa. Cuar.—Inner limb of Ringe ie one-lipped. Tude filiform. Anther naked. Capsule berried, ee 
valved. Seeds numerous, aculeate. | : es oped in tt 
Srecir. Cuar.— Rhizoma with numerous fleshy fibres. Stems perennial, wet re iets ome! pen at 
Spongy sheaths of the leaves ; from six to nine feet high. Leaves bifarious, su fa Sheaths slightly vil 
ie pointed, somewhat villous above, sericeous underneath, entire, from one to two feet — ? the stems, prostrat 
_ With a rounded ligula rising above the mouth. Scapes several, (three or four,) ser alge fro pes joint of the scape, 
Xuose, jointed branched, from one to two feet long. Branches or racemes alternate, one “aig sain one at each 
suberect, two or three inches long. Bracts solitary, oblong, sinooth, MEMUERRN, OEY in suscession as the 
joint of the scape. Flowers alternate, short-stalked, solitary at each joint of Se Be ix sep long, striated with 
tacemes lengthen. Calyx funnel-shaped, three-toothed at the mouth, about three-quarters segs of pt oblong con- 
fine veins, permanent. Tube of the corolla slender, as long as the calyx, 27 aeregre apex slightly three-lobed, 
cave, nearly equal, pale greenish white divisions, somewhat curled at the edge, wi sole emarginate. Ovary 
marked chiefly in the centre with purple violet stripes. ilament short, erect. lee pa of a small nutmeg, 
oval, smooth, Style slender. Stigma funnel-shaped. Capsule oval, somewhat three-sidea, | 
"led, three-valved. Seeds coriaceous, and pale brown, many, blackish. (Lindley-) 
