Curcuma. monandria monogyma. 21 



Others have since been procured from thence under the Ben- 

 galee name Kwchoor«. From that place the native drug- 

 gists in Calcutta, are chiefly supplied with the root or drug. 

 Root consists, as in all the other species of this genus, of 

 ovate bulbs, giving support to the parts above ground ; from 

 their opposite sides spring the palmate tubers ; these two 

 sorts are inwardly of a pale yellow, or straw colour, and pos- 

 sess an agreeable camphoraceous smell, and warm bitterish, 

 spicy taste. From the bulbs chiefly, the proper fibrous roots 

 issue : some of these are thicker than others, penetrate deeper 

 into the soil, and end in an oblong, pearl-coloured, solid 

 tuber ; which is more spongy and less fragrant when cut, 

 than the bulbs and palmate tubers. Stems no other than 

 the united sheaths of the leaves, surrounded by two or three 

 obtuse, smooth, green, faintly striated, appressed scales. 

 Height of the whole plant about three feet, or three and a 

 half. Leaves from four to six together, sub-bifarious ; in 

 general a pretty long, somewhat winged petiole intervenes 

 between each and its s< em-forming base. The leat itself is 

 broad-lanceolar, fine-pointed, and smooth on both sides; 

 constantly a dark purple cloud runs down the centre ; veins 

 numerous, fine and parallel ; from one to two feet long. 

 Scape rises distinct from the leafy stems, and rather before 

 or with them, stout, from five to six inches long, and sur- 

 rounded with a few, obtuse, lax, green sheaths, of various 

 length. Spike tufted, from four to five inches long, (so that 

 its apex is elevated nearly a foot above the surface of the 

 earth ;) covered with imbricated, oblong, concave bractes, 

 connected by the lower half of their inner margins to the 

 backs of those immediately above, forming as many sacks, 

 or pouches as there are bractes ; the lower half of these are 

 broad, shorter; scarcely tinged with red, containing each 

 about three or four beautiful, yellow, sessile flowers, which 

 expand in succession, and are embraced laterally by their 

 own proper, smaller, short, colourless bractes. The superior 

 half of the large coloured ones, which form the tufts, are ge- 



BJ 



