A.MO.MALES.] 



ZINGIBERACE^. 



165 



Order XLIX. ZINGIBERACE^.— Gingerworts. 



Caume,Juss. Gen. 62. (1798), in part.— Drymyrhixede, Vent. Tabl. (1799); DC. Ess. Mdd. 281. (181«). 

 — Scitaminese, R. Brown, Prodr. 305. (1810, ; Ayardh Aph. 182. (1823); Rose. Mwiogr.; Blume 

 Enumeratio, p. 39. (1827 ; Lestiboiidois in Ann Sc. 2. ser. 15. 305.— ZiiigiberaceiE, Rich. Anal. 

 i^r. (1808); Ed.pr.ccxxxhi.—Endl. fen.lxviii. ; 3feisner, p. ^SS.—Amomess, Juss.in Mirhel'sElem. 

 854. (1815) ; Ach. Rich. Nuuv. Elem. ed. 4. 438. ( 1828) . - Alpiniacese, Link Handb. 1. 228. (1829), 

 a sect. o/Scitamineae. 



Diagnosis. — Ainomal Endogens ivith one stamen, a two-celled anther^ and a vitellas round 



the embryo. 

 Aromatic tropical herbaceous plants. Rhizome creeping, often jointed. Stem formed 

 of the cohering bases of the leaves, never branching. Leaves simple, sheathing, their 



Fig. CXIII. 



lamma often separated from the sheath by a taper neck, and having a suigle mich-ib, from 

 which very numerous, simple, crowded veins diverge at an acute angle. Inflorescence 

 either a dense spike, or a raceme, or a sort of panicle, terminal or radical. Flowers 

 arising from among spathaceous membranous bracts, in which they usually lie m pau's. 

 Calyx superior, tubular, 3-lobed, short. Corolla tubular, ii-regular, with 6 segments in 

 2 whorls ; the outer 3-parted, nearly equal, or with the odd segment sometimes differ- 

 ently shaped ; the inner (sterile stamens) 3-parted, with the mtermediate segnient 

 (labellum) larger than the rest, and often 3-lobed, the lateral segments sometimes 

 nearly abortive. Stamens 3, distmct, of which the 2 lateral are abortive, and the mter- 

 mediate one fertile ; this placed opposite the labellum, and ax-ismg from the base of the 

 intermediate segment of the outer series of the corolla. Filament not petaloid, often 

 extended beyond the anther in the shape of a lobed or entk-e appendage. Anther 2- 

 celled, opening longitudinally, its lobes often embracmg the upper part of the style. 

 Pollen globose, smooth. Ovary 3-celled, sometimes imperfectly so ; oxiiles several, 

 anatropal, attached to a placenta in the axis ; style filiform, stigma dilated, hollow. Fruit 

 usually capsular, 3-celled, many-seeded, [sometimes by abortion 1 -celled] ; occasionally 

 berried (the dissepiments generally central, proceeding from the axis of the valves, at 

 last usually separate from the latter, and of a different texture. — R. Br.) Seeds roundish, 

 or angular, with or without an aril (albumen floury, its substance radiating, and defi- 

 cient near the hilum, R. Br.) ; embryo inclosed withm a pecuhar membrane (vitellus. 



Fig. CXIII.— 1. Flowers of Kaempferia pandurata: 2 the inner row of the corolla seen in profile : 3. 

 the anther, inclosing the apex of the style Letween its lobes ; 4. tlie style and stigma, with two a))ortive 

 stamens at the base ; 5. a transverse section of the ovary ; 6. ripe ft-uit of Ceylon Cardamoms, Elettaria 

 Cardamomum Zeylanicura of Pereira ; 7. a seed ; 8. the same cut through to show the embryo seated in 

 vitellus. 



