ZINGIBERACE^;. 



Leaves sessile, broad-lanceolate, acuminate, smooth ; sheaths with 

 a long slit ligula. Spike compact, ovate, obtuse. Bracts obovate, 

 rounded, smooth, membranous at edge. Middle lobe of the labellum 

 emarginate, yellow. Blume. Rhizomata tuberous, flexuose, with an 

 agreeable smell resembling that of ginger, and a hot bitter aromatic 

 flavour. Not now used (Radices Zerumbethi Offic.). N.B. According 

 to Blume the Lampujum of Rumph. v. t. 64. f. 1. cited to this by Rox- 

 burgh, really belongs to a different species which he calls Z. amaricans 

 (enum. 43). 



1 184. Z. Cassumunar Roxb. in As. research, xi. 34-7. t. 7. Fl. 

 Ind. i. 49. Bot. Mag. t. 1426. N. and E. handb. i. 240. PI. 

 med. t. 63. (Rumph. v. t. 65. f. 2.) East Indies ; Coromandel, 

 Bengal, Bahar, western provinces of Java. 



Rhizoma tuberous, jointed like ginger, but much larger, with long 

 white fleshy fibres j when fresh deep yellow ; possessing a strong not 

 very agreeable camphoraceous smell and warm spicy bitterish taste. 

 Roxb. Leaves sessile, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, downy on the under 

 side upon the midrib; sheaths with a short retuse rounded ligula. 

 Spikes elevated, oblong, acute. Bracts wedge-shaped, oblong-acuminate, 

 somewhat strigose, coloured. Labellum 3-lobed. Blume. Once in 

 great repute as a medicine of uncommon efficacy in hysteric, epileptic, 

 and paralytic disorders ; but now out of use. 



CURCUMA. 



Tube of the corolla gradually enlarged upwards ; limb 2-lipped, 

 each 3-parted. Filament broad. Anther incumbent, with 2 spurs 

 at the base. Style capillary. Capsule 3-celled. Seeds numer- 

 ous, arillate. Stemless plants, with palmate tuberous roots. 

 Leaves with sheathing petioles, bifarious, herbaceous. Scape 

 simple, lateral or central. Spike simple, erect, comose, some- 

 what imbricated at the base with bracts or saccate spathes. 

 Flowers dull yellow, 35 together, surrounded by bracteolae. 

 Blume. 



1185. C. Zerumbet Roxb. Fl. Ind. i. 20. N. and E. i. 242. 

 fl. med. t. 60. Blume enum. i. 46. (Rumph. v. t. 68. Rheede 

 xi. t. 7.) East Indies ; Chittagong ; western side of Java. 



Tubers palmate or ovate, inwardly pale yellow, with an agreeable 

 camphoraceous smell, and warm, bitterish, spicy taste. Stems the 

 united sheaths of the leaves, surrounded by 2 or 3, obtuse, smooth, 

 green, faintly striated appressed scales. Height of the plant about 3 

 feet, or 3J. Leaves from 4 to 6 together, sub-bifarious, with a pretty 

 long, somewhat winged petiole, broad, lanceolate, acuminate, smooth 

 on both sides ; constantly a dark purple cloud runs down the centre. 

 Scape from 5 to 6 inches long, surrounded with a few, obtuse, lax, 

 green sheaths of various lengths. Spike comose, from 4 to 5 inches 

 long (so that its apex is elevated nearly a foot above the surface of the 

 earth), covered with imbricated, oblong, concave bracts, connected by 

 the lower half of their inner margins to the backs of those immediately 

 above, forming as many sacks or pouches, as there are bracts ; half of 

 these generally sterile, and of a deeper crimson or purple colour, than 



560 



