156. ZINGIBERACEJE. [5. Hedychium. 



by 1 • 5" wide in the miich dwarfer Chota Nagpiir and Orissa plant, lin tinged yellow 

 dowTi the centre (var. chrysoleucum, F.B.I. ?) in the Chota Nagpur plant. Fila- 

 ment white, anther yellow in oiir plant, but in the Jalpaigiiri plant the filament 

 was practically obsolete. 



Om species requires re-study in the light of TurriU's article (Keiv Bulletin, 1914) 

 on Hedychium coronarium. He segregates it into 7 species and one variety. 

 Schumann also segregates this variety {maximum of coronarium), and in addition 

 keeps separate flarum, Roxb., flavescens, Carey, chri/soleucum. Hook., and 

 Elwesn, Bak. 



H. coronarium proper certainly occiu-s in our area but possibly also some of the 

 others. 



2. H. thyrsiforme, Ham. 



Stems inclined, 3-4 ft. high with the spike erect. Leaves oblong 

 or broadly lanceolate, 12-20" long by 3 -5-4 -7" broad, shortly finely 

 caudate, hairy or pilose beneath, thinly margined, base much or 

 slightly narroAved to a -5- -75" long petiole, ligule large, -7" long, very 

 hairy, with very obliquely truncate mouth. Spike dense but the 

 bracts not laterally imbricating, convolute around two (perhaps 

 more) inner bracts and one (or sometimes more ?) flowers. Flower 

 white, corolla-tube not much exceeding the 1-1-5" long bract, petals 

 I" linear, staminodes as long more broadly linear or linear-lanceolate, 

 lip narrow 2-partite, segments lanceolate. Filament 1-75-2 -5", 

 anther (when dry) linear, -4" long. Ovary very hairy. 



Ramnagar Hills ! Fl. r.s. 



The flowers in my specimen were much withered and the description of them 

 is mainly taken from the F.B.I. Leaves sometimes elliptic, paler below. Sheaths 

 sometimes purpurascent, villous, terminating in long obtuse ligule. Calyx 3- 

 toothed, sheathing about three-fourths corolla-tube. 



3. H. stenopetalum, Lodd. 



Height 6-7 ft. Leaves oblong or elliptic-oblong 18" by 4-5" to 20" 

 by 5-25" (sometimes 24" by 6", F.B.I.), closely subsericeous beneath 

 but more or less glabrescent ir fruit, ligule large, 1-1 -2" long, obtuse, 

 villous on the back as is the margin of the sheath. Petiole 0. Spike 

 8-12" long or more, lax, with very stout rhachis and convolute oblong 

 spreading bracts 2-5 -fld. Flow^ers pure white, total length (with 

 stamen) 3-5-4". Ovary villous. Calyx -7- -9", villous above. 

 Corolla-tube 1-3-1-5" with narrowly linear twisted petals over V 

 long. Lateral staminodes linear-lanceolate or oblanceolate, -8". 

 Lip 1", deeply 2-fid with linear-oblong lobes -3" long, entire portion 

 narrowly obcuneate. 



In wet savannahs, Tarai and Duars ! Probably also Purneah. Fl. Aug.-Sept. 

 Schumann states that the lobes of the lip are acuminate; they are only acute in 

 my plant and are even obtuse in some of the Kew specimens. 



Hedychium Gardnerianum, Rose, is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental 

 plant in gardens and may easily be recognized by the rather broad leaves white 

 pulverulent beneath, and the lemon-yellow flowers in long spikes 12-18" lon^ 

 Staminodes oblanceolate over 1" long. Lip obovate-cuneate. Filament bright 

 red. 



4. H. coccineum, Ham. 



Leaves narrow, about 1 - 5" broad, with fine scattered hairs on margin 

 and midrib beneath, Ligule about 1". Spike up to 1 ft., lax, with a 

 triangular villous rhachis and bracts more or less ternate in vertical 



73 1139 



