374 
H. coronarium is best distinguished from other species of the 
genus by the following characters :—Inflorescence ellipsoid or ovoid ; 
3-5-flowered bracts which are densely imbricate in 5-8-spirals. 
Staminodia oblong-lanceolate, white. Labellum widely obcordate, 
white with yellow sometimes near the base. Filament’ white. 
At Kew the plant thrives under tropical swamp conditions in 
House No. 15 and is an object of beauty throughout the summer 
and autumn with its spikes of fragrant white flowers. The 
photograph reproduced on Plate II. is taken from one of the Kew 
plants, and the numerous, closely-arranged leafy stems springing 
from the creeping rhizomes can be well seen. At Kew the stems 
attain a height of about 3-4 fect. In Brazil the plant is described 
as growing spontaneously and thickly and completely covering the 
land. The stems are said to reach a height of 1-14 metres when 
growing thickly and to be about 2-4 cm. in thickness. On the 
margins of streams, however, the stems grow as high as 2 metres. 
After cutting down the stems it is found that some 4-5 months 
must elapse before a full growth of fresh stems is made. 
In order to make certain of the identity of the Brazilian 
plant whose paper-making qualities had been tested, application for 
specimens was made to H.M. Consul at Sao Paulo for specimens of 
the plant. Thanks to the kind services of the Acting Consul and 
H.M. Vice-Consul at Curityba, a specimen of the plant known in 
that region as Hedychium coronarium has been received at Kew. 
This proved to be Hedychium coronarium, as did also the specimens 
sent to Kew by Messrs. Clayton Beadle and Stevens from Parana. 
The value of the plant for paper-making was brought to our 
notice in a request for fresh material for the purpose of experi- 
mental investigation, Messrs. Beadle and Stevens had already 
satisfied themselves as to the good qualities of Hedychium fibre 
from the dried material they had received from Brazil, and were 
naturally anxious to test it in the green fresh condition. The 
paper-making qualities of the fresh material supplied from Kew 
were found to be identical with those of the dried stems, and the 
plant appears likely to be a very valuable source of material for 
the paper-maker. 
In a letter to Kew, Messrs. Clayton Beadle and Stevens write:— 
“Papers produced from this fibre have even greater tensile 
‘strength than the strongest manila papers produced. e 
strongest manila papers have a strength of 6000 or 7000 metres 
‘breaking length.’ This paper has from 9000 to 10,000. Its 
elasticity and folding qualities are exceptional. Moreover, it can 
be made to bear ink and possess parchment qualities without any 
se or other special treatment. 
“The reason of this we find to be due to the presence of the cells 
associated with the fibre, which are of a semi-gelatinous nature, 
when chemically treated, and dry into the interstices of the paper 
and produce natural parchment.” 
Messrs. Clayton Beadle and Stevens recently presented a paper 
to the Eighth International Congress of Applied Chemistry* on 
* The paper-making qualities of Hedychium coronarium re ted fro! 
oie Fe gee presen mm 
Original Contributio i hth Internatio: ae F 
1 xiii , pp: 80-45, ns, Ang a nal Congress of Applied Chemistry, | 
