408 ZINGIBERACE^. 



Flowers in racemes, heads or cymes, in the axils of leafy 

 bracts, and sheathed by tubular bracteoles. Sepals 

 three, united at the base. Petals three, separate. 

 Stamen one, at the back of the flower, with a large 

 anther between the two lobes of which lies the style : 

 behind this two petaloid staminodes : in front a two- 

 lobed or bifid lip (often the most conspicuous part of the 

 flower) composed of two staminodes. Ovary inferior, 

 three-celled : style slender. Fruit a loculicidal capsule. 

 Seeds with perisperm. 



Species 275 in the tropics mostly of India and the Malay 

 regions. Commonly cultivated genera are zingiber Ginger, 

 CURCUMA Turmeric, elettaria Cardamom. 



The family (or tribe) is closely allied to the canna of our gardens 

 but differs in having a completely two-celled anther, and the lip being 

 symmetrically placed opposite it and being composed of two staminodes. 



CURCUMA. F.B.I. 149 VI. 



Turmeric, etc. 



Herbs with tuberous rootstock but no leafy stem 

 above ground. Leaves radical, oblong, often large. 

 Flowers several together in the axils of large bracts, 

 arranged in a dense raceme which ends in coloured 

 empty bracts. Calyx-tube short. Corolla tube funnel- 

 shaped, the upper (posterior) petal larger and more 

 concave. Filament of stamen united to the two large 

 posterior staminodes. Cells of the anther spurred at 

 the base. Lip roundish. Capsule globose, three-celled. 

 Seeds usually with aril. 



Species about 50, mostly in tropical Asia but also Africa 

 and Australia. 



Curcuma ncilghcrrcnsis Wight, Herb. Wight Prop ! ; 

 F.BJ. vi 210, VI 2. Rootstock tuberous, clothed with thin 



