ZINGIBER 



THE BVIA] BOOK 



Z^'GADENUS 



Z. tublspatha (Z. nervosa ; Amaiyl- 

 lis fubispa(/ia). — A native of the 

 West Indies and Central American 

 mountains, with narrow linear Haccid 

 leaves over 1 ft. long, and white, 

 slightly fragrant flowers li to 2 ins. 

 long, in early summer (JJot. Mag. 

 t. 1586). Fairly hardy. 



Z. verecunda {Z. sessilis ; Z. 

 striata). — A native of the highlands 

 of Central Mexico, witli narrow green 

 leaves 6 to 12 ins. long, and white 

 flov/ers H to 2 ins. long, keeled 

 ^\■ith red, and borne on stems 3 to 9 

 ins. high, in the spring and early 

 summer months (Bot. Mag. tt. 2583, 

 2593 ; Ref. Bot. tt. 212, 356). Green- 

 house or frame. 



Z. versicolor. — A South American 

 species, with leaves a foot long, 

 produced after the flowers, which 

 appear in January or February, and 

 are white, 2 to 2^ ins. long, flashed 

 outside with red and green {Bot. 

 Mag. t. 2485). 



ZINGIBER (the Indian name). Xat. 

 Ord. Scitamineae.— This genus con- 

 tains about twenty species of 

 herbaceous perennials, having tuber- 

 ous rhizomes, large more or less 

 oblong or lance-shaped leaves, and 

 flowers borne in dense spike - like 

 clusters. 



These plants are more of botanical 

 and economic interest, although they 

 are by no means unornamental. The 

 root -stocks of the East Indian z. 

 officinale supply the Ginger roots of 

 commerce ; Z. Cassumunar supplies 

 Bengal Root {Bot. Mag. t. 1426); Z. 

 Parishi, from Moulmein, has creeping 

 root - stocks about 3 ft. long, and 

 produces sterns about 3 ft. high, 

 having elliptic lance-shaped leaves, 

 and pale yellow flowers veined with 

 purple {Bot. Mag. t. 6019); Z. 

 spectabile, from the Malay Peninsula, 



is about 8 ft. high, with oblong 

 lance-shaped tapering leaves and pale 

 yellow flowers with a red-brown lip 

 spotted with yellow {Bot. Mag. t. 

 7967) ; Z. Zerumbet, from the East 

 Indies and Malaya, grows 3 to 4 ft. 

 high, with broadly lance-shaped wavy 

 leaves and pale sulphur-yellow flowers 

 {Lot. Mag. t. 2000). There is a 

 variety with variegated leaves. 



ZYGADENUS {zygos, a yoke ; aden, 

 a gland ; in reference to the double 

 glands on the perianth). Xat. Ord. 

 Liliaceae. — A little-known genus of 

 herbaceous plants with rhizomes or 

 bulbous root - stocks, clusters of 

 narrow leaves, and branched racemes 

 of more or less bell-shaped flowers. 



These plants are chiefly of botani- 

 cal interest. They like a deep, moist 

 peaty soil in somewhat shaded places, 

 and may be increased by division 

 of the root-stocks or ofisets. The 

 following species are met with. 

 They are all natives of X. America. 



Z. angustif olius. — A slender- 

 stemmed plant 12 to 18 ins. high, 

 with reduced leaves, and racemes of 

 small white flowers, turning purple 

 with age {Bot. Mag. t. 1540). 



Z. glaberrimus {Ilelonias hracteata). 

 — This species grows 2 to 3 ft. high, 

 and has narrow grassy leaves 12 to 

 18 ins. long, and small white flowers 

 in June {Bot. Mag. t. 1703). 



Z. glaucus {Z. elegans). — A plant 

 1 to 2 ft. high, with grey-green leaves 



1 to 2 ft. long, and loose racemes of 

 whitish - green flowers in summer 

 {Bot. Mag. t. 1680, as glaherri- 

 vms). 



Z. Muscaetoiincum {Ilelonias Iceta), 

 Flu Boison Plant. — This grows 1 to 



2 ft. high, has the leaves much 

 reduced, and bears greenish - white 

 flowers in summer {Bot. Mag. t. 

 803 ; Bodd. Bot. Cab. t. 998). 



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