Amomum.] cxxxiv. scitamine.e (baker). 309 



Also Mauritius and Madagascar. Sonnerat's type specimen from Madagascar, in 

 the British Museum, has leaves not more than 1^ in. broad. 



18. A. polyanthum, Schumann in Engl. Jahrb. xv. 411. Leafy 

 stem, tall. Leaves oblong-lanceolate^ acuminate, 1 ft. or more long, 

 4-0 in. broad at the middle, densely softly pilose beneath, rounded to 

 the base, distinctly petioled on the sheath ; ligule small, truncate. 

 Flowers several in a globose head on a peduncle J-1 ft. long, with 

 large oblong obtuse scariose imbricate bract-leaves. Dorsal petal 

 small, oblong. Lip oblong, purplish-yellow, 1 in. long ; anther-crest 

 with a triangular central-lobe and falcate lanceolate side-lobes. Fruit 

 ampuUiform, glabrous, not grooved. 



ITile ]Land. British East Africa : Niamniam ; at the rapids of the Linduku 

 Kiver, Schtveinfurth, 3092 ! Diamvonu stream, Schweinfurfk, 3262 ! 3312 ! 



U). A. cereum, Hook. f. in Kew Journ. Bot. vi. 296. Leafy 

 stem short, slender. Leaves lanceolate, firm, glabrous, reaching 1 ft. 

 long, lJ-2 in. broad at the middle, nearly sessile on the sheath, 

 narrowed to the base ; ligule small, truncate. Flowering-stem very 

 slender, about | ft. long, bearing a spike of 1-2 flowers; bracts brown, 

 scariose, obtuse. Corolla- lobes IJ in. long; upper oblong, obtuse; 

 lateral lanceolate. Lip pure white, obovate-cuneate, H-2 in. broad; 

 anther-crest with a small entire central lobe and two uncinate linear 

 side-lobes. Fruit narrowly ampulliform, glabrous, not grooved, 2 in. 

 long, crowned by the short calyx-tube. Seeds J in. diam., grey, glossy, 

 much angled by pressure. -^Baker in Hook. Ic. t. 2477. 



Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone, Daniell ! Liberia: Cape Palmas, Crummell! 



20. A. zambesiacum, J?^«A;e?*. Rootstock stout. Leafy stem G ft. 

 long. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, moderately firm, 15-16 in, long, 4 in. 

 broad at the middle, glabrous on both surfaces, distinctly petioled on 

 the sheath. Flowers many in a dense head on a flexuose peduncle 1 ft. 

 long, with many large oblong-navicular coriaceous brown bract-leaves ; 

 bracts of the capitulum ovate, acute, 1 J-2 in. long. Flowers seen only 

 in an undeveloped state. 



Mozamb. Sist. British Central Africa : Nyasaland ; Mount Zomba, at tlie 

 foot of the peak, 4500 ft.. Kirk ! 



21. A. EUiotii, Baker. Leaves oblong, membranous, 1 ft. long. 

 3-4 in. broad at the middle, glabrous above, softly hairy beneath, 

 rounded to the base, distinctly petioled above the sheath ; sheaths 

 densely hairy ; ligule moderately large, truncate. Flowers many in a 

 globose head on a peduncle 9-10 in. long, hidden by large oblong 

 imbricate obtuse brown scariose bract-leaves; outer bracts ovate, acute, 

 2-0 in. long. Young fruit ampulliform, glabrous, 2-3 in. long, under 

 1 in. diam., not grooved vertically. Corolla and lip not seen. 



Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone : Herimankuna, in shady woods, Scott-Elliot, 

 5249 1 



