246 Scitaininecs. \Costus. 



By streams in moist region up to 6000 ft.; rather common, especially 

 in the hills. Fl. Aug., Sept.; yellowish-cream-coloured, sweet-scented. 



Bengal, Khasia, Nilghiri Hills, &c. 



Doubtful if distinct from H. coronartian, which is a smaller and more 

 slender species, with smaller 1., glabrous beneath, narrower fewer-fld. 

 spikes, more slender lateral staminodes, and pure white fl. 



3. H. coccineum, Ham. in Rees Cyclop, xvii. 5 (1819). 

 H. a7igiistifolium. Wall., Thw. Enum. 319. C. P. 3669. 

 Fl. B. Ind. V. 231. Bot. Mag. t. 2078 (//. angustifoliu7n). 



Rootstock stout, horizontal, jointed, stoloniferous; stem 

 4-8 ft., compressed, densely leafy; 1. 14-18 in., close set, 

 linear-lanceolate, acuminate, tip setaceous, glabrous, except the 

 midrib beneath, dark green, base obtuse or rounded, sheath 

 short, ligule about \ in., rounded, membranous ; spike 4-8 in., 

 subsessile, strict, rigid ; bracts 6-ranked, oblong, 2-4-fld., tips 

 rounded; bracteoles membranous; cal. cylindric, about as 

 long as the bracts and cor.-tube, mouth equally 3-toothed ; 

 cor. tube nearly i in., cylindric, segm. as long as the tube, 

 narrowly linear, reflexed ; lateral staminodes i in., cuneate- 

 oblong, subacute, spreading; lip long-clawed, about I in. 

 broad, orbicular, deeply bifid, lobes obtuse; fil. ii-2 in., 

 anth. linear; stigma funnel-shaped. — Partly from Trimen mss. 



Open shrubby places in moist region up to 5000 ft.; rather common. 

 Fl. Feb., July ; bright red-pink or salmon-red. 



Also in E. Himalaya and Burma. 



A widely spread and variable species, of which the Ceylon form is not 

 exactly that of any of the 5 vars. given in Fl. Brit. Ind. Baker refers it 

 to var. H. squarrostcm, Harv., but it agrees better with var. H. cvigusti- 

 folhim, Roxb. (Bot. Mag. t. 2078). 



5. COSTUS, Litm. 

 Rootstock tuberous ; stem tall, stout, leafy ; 1. oblong, 

 spirally arranged, sheath broad ; spike terminal, dense-fld., 

 bracts large ; cal.-tube short, infundibular, teeth ovate ; cor.- 

 tube not longer than the cal., segm. 3, large, subequal, oblong; 

 lateral staminodes o, or minute ; lip large, ovate or sub- 

 orbicular, margins incurved ; fil. confluent with the connective 

 in an oblong petaloid limb, anth. -cells in the centre of the 

 limb, linear, parallel ; ov. 3-celled, cells many-ovuled, style 

 filiform, stigma clavate, mouth semilunar, ciliate ; fr. coria- 

 ceous, dehiscent ; seeds many, arilled. — Sp. 25 ; 3 \n Fl. B. Ind. 



C. speciOBUB, Sviith in Trans. Linn. Sac. i. 249 (1791). T6bu, ^S". 

 Moon, Cat. 2. Thw. Enum. 320. C. P. 3082. 



Fl. B. Ind. vi. 249. Wight, Ic. t. 2014. Rheede, Hort. Mai. xi. t. 8. 

 Rootstock stout, tuberous, insipid ; stem 6-9 ft, stout, 

 erect ; 1. 6-12 in. or more, sessile, oblong, acute, acuminate, or 



