CXXVI. SCITAMINE-E. 731 



KoNKAN : Sfocksl, Lawl, Bahell ^- Gi/ison; Salsette, Graham. 



Baker in Hook. f. Fl. B. 1. 1. c. has reduced this to C. montana, Roxb., but the tubers 

 in Roxburgh's plant are sessile and yellow inside, while Graham, though admitting 

 that his plant is closely allied to C. Diontana, describes its tubers as hanging from the 

 fibres of the rootstock and i^erfectly white inside. There are unfortunately no rhizomes 

 to any of the specimens in Herb. Kew. which have been named 6'. montana or 

 C. pseiidomontana, and an examination of fresh specimens by botanists on the spot is 

 very desirable. Graham makes a mistake in his description in stating that the leaves 

 are 19 inches wide, an error which Dalzell & Gibson reproduce, reducing the width 

 however to 18 inches. 



Tlie description given by Graham, though rather indefinite as to size and sliape of 

 tubers, seems to fit the plant described as G. Banadei by Colonel Prain (Journ. Bomb. 

 Nat. 1. c). Thus, the lower bracts of the coma are, in tlie case of C. luoiadei, de- 

 scribed by Colonel Prain as having purple edges, while the bracts of C. psciulomontana 

 are said by Gi-aham to have their edges dark brown or reddish. Again, the upper bracts 

 of the coma of C. Ranadei are described as more or less uniformly mauve-purple, tliose 

 of C. pseudomontana as dark rose-colored. The flowers in both are briglit yellow, the 

 inflorescence beiig central. The fact that C. Banadei was grown in a pot in Calcutta 

 from a tuber accidentally sent from Bombay together with rhizomes of Kcempferia 

 scaposa, under climatic conditions dift'ering greatly from tliose of the natural home of 

 the plant in the Konkan hills, might account for minor differences. — Distkib. India 

 (W. Peninsula), apparently endemic. 



The tubers are boiled and eaten in times of scarcity according to Gi'aham. 



4. Curcuma decipiens, Dalz. in Keiv Journ. Bot. v. 2 (1850) p. 144, 

 Eootstock bearing uumerous almond-like tubers white inside at the ends 

 of the fibres, but with no sessile tubers. Leaves 6-8 by 3-5 in., broadly 

 elliptic, shortly deltoid-acuminate, membranous, green, usually glabrous, 

 base rounded or subcordate ; petioles as long as the leaf. Elowers twin, 

 purple, in ajstival spikes 2|l-5 by 1-1| in., those which first emerge 

 from the soil lateral, the later spikes central ; peduncles 2|-3 in. long ; 

 flowering bracts 1 in. long, ovate, obtuse, saccate, purple ; bracts of the 

 coma niimerous, oblong, purple. Calyx nearly | in. long, obtusely toothed, 

 puberulous below the teeth and near the base. Corolla purple ; tube 

 twice as long as the calyx ; lobes oblong-lanceolate. Lip obovate, 2-fid, 

 with crisped margins. V\. B. I. v. 6, p. 215 ; Dalz, & Gibs, p. 274 ; 

 Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 520 ; K. 8chum. iu Engler, 

 Pflanzenreich, v. 4, part 46 (1904) p. 105. — Flowers : June-Sept. 



Konkan: Law'., Stools I, Dalzell I ; Malwan, Balselll ; Uran (island in Bombay 

 Harbour), Dalzell I — Distrib. India (W. Peninsula), apparently endemic. 



5. Curcuma Amada, Roxh. in Asiat. lies. v. 11 (1810) p. 341. 

 Eootstock large ; sessile tubers thick, cylindric or ellipsoid, pale yellow 

 inside. Leaves long-petiolate, iu tufts, the blade 12-18 by 3-5 in., 

 oblong-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, narrowed to the base, glabrous 

 and green on both sides ; petioles as long as the leaf-blade (12-18 in.). 

 Elowers in autumnal spikes 3-6 by l|-2 in., iu the centre of the tuft of 

 leaves ; peduncle 6 in. long or more ; flowering bracts 1 in. long, 

 greenish-white; bracts of the coma longer and narrower, tinged with 

 pink or red. Calyx nearly | in. long, obtusely 3-toothed. Corolla white 

 or very pale j^ellow ; tube about 1 in. long ; lobes oblong, acute. Lip 

 semi-elhptic, yellow, 3-lobed, the middle lobe emarginate. El. B. I. v. 6, 

 p. 213 ; Grab. Cat. p. 209 ; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 275 ; K. Schum, in Engler, 

 Pflanzenreich, v. 4, part 46 (1904) p, 108 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb, Nat. 

 v. 12(1899) p,520; Prain, Beng, PI, p. 1041 ; Watt, Diet, Econ, Prod, 

 v. 2, p. 652. — Elowers : Sept. 



