234 SCITAMINEGE. [ CURCUMA. 



fading ; sheaths of pseudostem pale-green. Calyx 3-toothed. 

 Corolla-tube % in. long, somewhat gibbous ; upper lobe erect, con- 

 cave, ovate, longer than the two lateral ones. Lateral staminodes 

 oblong, united to the filament ; the lower large, broad, spreading, 

 notched ; connective produced at the base in a fork. Capsule ovoid, 

 ultimately opening by 3 valves. Seeds many, small. 

 Abundant in Dehra Dun and in the Sub-Himalayan tracts of Rohil- 

 khand and N. Oudh. Flowering during the rains. DISTBIB. : Outer 

 ranges of Central Himalaya, also in W. Behar and N. Bengal ; 

 extending to Bombay and S. India. A kind of starch resembling 

 arrowroot is prepared from the tubers. 



C. LONGA, L. Sp. PL 2 ; Koxb. Fl Ind. i, 32 ; Eoyle III. 358 ; F. S. /. 

 vi, 214 ; Duthie in Field and Gard. Crops Hi, 41, t. 77 ; Watt 

 E.D. ; Comm. Prod. Ind. 445 ; Prain Seng. PL 1042 ; Kanjilal For. 

 FL (ed. 2) 405 ; Cooke FL Bomb, ii, 732. Vern. Haldi Turmeric. 

 A tall herb. Eootstock large, ovoid, with sessile cylindric tubers 

 orange-coloured inside. Leaves very large, in tufts up to 4 ft. or 

 more long, including the petiole which is about as long as the blade, 

 oblong-lanceolate, tapering to the base. Flowers in autumnal 

 spikes, 4-6 in. long ; peduncle 6 in. or more, concealed by the sheath- 

 ing petiole ; flowering bracts pale-green ; ftracts of coma tinged with 

 pink. This plant is much cultivated throughout India chiefly for 

 the yellow dye obtained from the tubers, which also used as a condi- 

 ment. The plant was probably introduced originally from China, 

 though having all the appearance of being wild in Behar and Ch. 

 Nagpur. 



4. ZINGIBER, Adans. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. vi, 243. 

 Herbs with elongated leafy stems and horizontal tuberous 

 rootstocks. Leaves oblong-lanceolate. Flowers in spikes, usually 

 radical, less often terminal, rarely lateral on the leafy stems ; 

 peduncle short or long ; bracts persistent, usually 1-fld. Sepals 

 3, connate in a, cylindric shortly 3-lobed calyx. Petals 3, connate 

 in a corolla with cylindric tube ; lobes lanceolate, the upper con- 

 cave. Stamen 1 perfect ; filament short ; anther 2-celled ; cells 

 contiguous, with a narrow crest as long as themselves ; lateral 

 staminodes none, or adnate to the obovate-cuneate lip. Carpels 

 3, connate in a 3- celled ovary ; ovules many, superposed ; placentas 

 axile ; style filiform ; stigma small, subglobose. Fruit an oblong 

 capsule, tardily dehiscent. Seeds large, globose, arillate. Species 

 about 30 or more, in tropical regions of the Old World. 



