156. ZINGIBERACEM. [9. Alpinia. 



Common in the damper forests and often in grass lands throughout Chota 

 Nagpur ! Probably in all districts. Fl. r.s. Fr. Sept.-Oct. 



Well marked by the terminal spikes, and, like other species, often conspicuous 

 by the bright red valves of the widely open fleshy capsules well into the cold 

 season. 



8. COSTUS, L. 



Rootstock tuberous with long leafy stem. Flowers large in dense- 

 flow^ered, usually terminal, heads or spikes. Calyx with short tube, 

 funnel-shaped with ovate teeth. Corolla-tube not longer than the 

 calyx, segments large, subequal. Lateral staminodes or minute. 

 Lip large, obovate wdth margins incurved. Filament forming with, the 

 connective an oblong petaloid process in the middle of which are 

 placed the contiguous linear anther-cells. Ovary 3-celled ; style 

 filiform, stigma with a semilunar ciliated depression. Ovules many, 

 superposed. Capsule globose or ovoid, finally dehiscing on one side 

 between the ribs. Seeds subglobose or obovoid with short aril. 



L C. speciosus, Smith. 



A handsome plant 2-6 ft. high, the stem usually spiral so that the 

 distichous leaf arrangement is no longer apparent. Leaves elliptic - 

 oblong, 6-12", thinly silky beneath. Flowers very large, pure white, 

 in terminal dense heads 2-4" long with scarlet ovate bracts 1-1 • 5" 

 long. 



Generally distributed, in moist localities in long grass and in the forest. Chota 

 Nagpur, common ! Purl and Angul, common ! Fl. July-Sept. 



The stem is more solid than in most of the previous genera. Calyx 1". Petals 

 1-1 ■ 5". Lip suborbicular, 2-3", with the incurved margins usually meeting. 



The rootstock is eaten. 



9. ALPINIA, L. 



Usually very tall, often gregarious, herbs with tuberous or creeping 

 rootstock and leafy stems which terminate (with few exceptions not 

 in our area) in the inflorescence. Leaves distichous, usually narrow. 

 Flowers rather small to very large, in racemes or panicles, often 

 enveloped in bud by the convolute bracts. Calyx laxly tubular, 

 shortly 3-toothed. Petals narrow, upper usually broader and more 

 concave. Lateral staminodes or very small ; lip large, sometimes 

 with 2 subulate processes at the base of the claw. Filament flattened, 

 anther-cells divergent above, connective furnished rarely with an 

 orbicular crest. Ovary 3-celled, style flliform, stigma subglobose. 

 Ovules few or many. Fruit globose, usually dry and indeliiscent, 

 irregularly breaking up. Seeds globose or angled. 

 I. Inflorescence panicled : — 



A. Flowers rather small, lip under 1" long. Bracts small : — 



Bracts small ovate amplexicaul, persistent . . .1. allughas. 



Bracts oblong, •4--5", free, subpersistent . . .2. galanga. 



B. Flowers large or mod. -sized, hp 1-1-5". Primary bracts 



minute or 0. Fl. -bracts very large, wTapping round and 

 covering the bud, finally circumsciss at base : — 



Bracts open. Inflor. dense erect, pyramidal . . .3. calcarata. 



Bracts closed. Inflor. lax, cernuous . . , .4. speciosa. 

 II. Inflorescence simply racemose. Bracts as in I, B : — 



Bracts wrapping the bud white and wax-like . , .5. malaccensis. 



Bracts wxapping the bud soft and greenish . . .6. bracteata. 



1145 



