256. ZINGIBERACE.^. [7. Zingiber. 



dorsal somewhat cucullate. Lip twice as long as the petals, sub- 

 orbicular with cuneate base. Anther-crest about '25" diam. with 

 3 acute lobes. Fruit narrowly obovoid (ovate, size of a large nutmeg, 

 Roxh.), 1-3", somewhat rugose, 3-valved. Seeds several in each cell. 



Cultivated in the wetter districts near the foot of the Himalayas. Fl. May. 

 Fr. Sept. 



The seeds are used as spice and medicinally. They resemble cardamoms in 

 flavom'. 



The true Cardamom is derived from EleUaria cardamomum, which is cultivated 

 in the Himalayas to the north of our area under the shade of trees and where the 

 rainfall is over 100" 



3. A. linguiforme, Benth. 



Rootstock creeping with leafy stems 4-8 ft. high ending in a fine 

 point (undeveloped leaf). Leaves oblong-lanceolate 3-4" apart, 

 12-18" long by 2-1" broad, quite glabrous, ending in a liliform tip. 

 Spikes (according to Roxburgh) linear, rather lax with the apex only 

 rising above the soil (mine are in fruit, 6" high and dense), outer bracts 

 ovate Avhitish glabrous, inner lanceolate, pink. Corolla-tube cylindric, 

 2", segments oblong, bright red. Lip bright yellow, linguiform, 

 deflexed, above 2" long, 2-fid, margins below the middle incurved. 



My plant, from which the locality " Northern Bengal " in Beng. PI. is given 

 (named linguiforme in Cal. Herb., but only in fruit), is very common in the Sal 

 forests of the Tarai and Duars and almost certainly occms in Purneah. But the 

 description of the flower is from Roxburgh and the F.B.I. Fl. r.s. Fr. ripens 

 Sept. 



The F.B.I, describes the leaves as attaining 5" in width ; they are narrower 

 upwards on the stem. Fruit (not described by Roxburgh) is oblong or sub-globose, 

 •5- -75", green or yellowish green, glabrous. Seeds triquetrous in a white aril. 

 Smell foetid of garlic. 



7. ZINGIBER, Adans. 



Rhizome horizontal with leafy stems and mostly oblong-lanceolate 

 leaves. Flowers in dense bracteate spikes which are usually radical 

 (in one of our species terminal), bracts mostly 1-fld. Calyx shortly 

 3-lobed. Corolla with lanceolate segments, upper concave. Lateral 

 staminodes or small and adnate to the obovate-cuneate often 3-lobed 

 lip. Stamen Avith short filament and contiguous anther-cells, the 

 connective produced into a narrow crest or beak as long as the cells. 

 Ovary 3 -celled, style filiform, stigma small, subglobose. Ovules many, 

 superposed. Fruit an oblong capsule, sometimes tardily dehi.^cing, 

 with large globose arillate seeds. 



I. Spikes radical or from the base of the leafy stem : — 



A. Floral bracts narrow, not closely imbricate. Peduncle 



hypogeal. Lateral lobes of lip or very small : — 



Spike only 1-2" long. Inner bracts linear-lanceolate. 

 Lip linear-oblong or, when spread out, ovate 

 oblong, spotted or streaked with red. Stamens red . 1. rubens. 



Spike 3—4". Inner bracts oblong or lanceolate. Lip 

 oblong unspotted, with waved basal flanges and 

 shallowly-lobed or waved terminal lobe (all re- 

 curved). Stamen yellow . . . . .2. roseum. 



B. Floral bracts broad and closely imbricate. Peduncle 



of spike usually elongate (exc. 5, var.). Lateral 

 lobes of lip well developed : — 

 1. L. under 1" wide. Fls. with dark purple lip and 



stamen ........ 3. officinale. 



1141 



