156. ZINGIBERACE.E. [2. Curcuma. 



7. C. caesia, Roxb. Nil-kuntha, Kala-haldi, Beng. 



Whole height about 4 ft. Leaves 1-2 ft. by 5-6" broadly lanceolate 

 or oblong, glabrous, with a deep ferruginous purple cloud down the 

 middle which penetrates to the lower surface. Petiole and sheath 

 about as long as the blade. Spikes appearing rather before the leaves, 

 about 6" long or altogether about a foot high with the peduncle. 

 Flowering bracts green with a ferruginous tinge. Coma deep bright 

 red, tending to crimson. Flowers pale yellow, reddish at the outer 

 border, rather shorter than their bracts. 



Behar and Chota Nagpur according to Bengal Plants, but I can find no specimens 

 from this area. Fl. May. 



The description is mainly from Roxhurqh. It appears to be Indistinguishable 

 from C. Zedoaria except by the colour of the rhizomes, and it seems to me better 

 to regard it as a variety. Roxburgh says that the bulbs are ovate and these and 

 the rhizomes a greyish blue within. 



8. C. amada, Roxb. Ban-haldi (the wild plant) ; Ama-haldi, H. ; 



Amada, Beng. 

 Whole plant from root to tip of leaves 2-2 • 5 ft. high, bearing scape 

 from the centre of the leafy tuft. Leaves oblong-elliptic, oblong or 

 oblanceolate, ending in a short fine somewhat twisted cusp and with 

 a white or hyaline margin, blade 1 • 3-2 ft. long by 5-7" wide. Scape 

 about 6-12", with a spike 3-6" and peduncle sometimes entirely hidden 

 in the leaf bases. Bracts white or pale green, those of the coma very 

 few and pinkish or nearly Avhite. FloAvers 1 • 75" long, exserted (in 

 front), -5" more or less. Calyx very thin •4-- 5", split above, with 

 3 rounded shallow lobes anteriorly, puberulous. Corolla with tubular 

 portion • 75" long then ventricose, anterior lobes oblong-ovate rounded, 

 nearly as long as the lip, posterior hooded entire or very slightly 

 emarginate in front of the large mucro or horn, embracing the lateral 

 staminodes which are (somewhat obliquely) oblong rounded and as 

 long as the corolla. Lip slightly exceeding the corolla, • 5" broad, 

 sides erect and apex very short deflexed emarginate, throat and centre 

 deep yellow, rest of flower cream-coloured. Ovary villous. 



Very common in the forests of Chota Nagpur ! Fl. Aug.-Sept. 



The leaves are always very slightly puberulous on the upper surface with white 

 hairs {Roxburgh says glabrous, yet I don't know what else this can be but amada), 

 lower surface glabrous and microscopically white-dotted, lateral nerves somewhat 

 raised, abont 20 each side. Rootstock quite small, pale yellow with white margins, 

 fibres as usual ending in tubers. Bracts adnate half-way up, then spreading, 

 rounded or truncate, not recurved, lower few barren and longer with a free portion 

 of 1 -5" in length, while flowering have a free portion of about -7" only. 



The fresh cut rootstock possesses the smell of green mango and it is said to be 

 used as a condiment and vegetable. They are also regarded as cooling and car- 

 minative (Nadkarni). The Kols however tell me that they have no use for it. 



Filament short broad oblong, anther reclinate, with 2 long declinate spurs and 

 a slight knee above base of the spurs in front, connective behind with a minute 

 ridge (these characters are, I think, generic). 



9. C. longa, L. Haldi, H. ; Turmerie. 



Habit and stature of C. amada, but all parts much more aromatic. 

 Leaves quite glabrous both sides liut both sides microscopically white- 

 dotted. Spikes short with the peduncle often only exserted 2-3" 

 from the leaf sheaths with 1-2 large barren bracts beloAv, the lowest 

 one with a filiform point over • 5" long, floral green and those of the 



1135 



