TYPE 8. GRAINS SIMPLE, ECCENTRIC, CUNEIFORM, OR FLATTENED. 223 



cone-shaped; thinner towards the distal end; lamella; delicate or indistinct; hiluni frequently 

 invisible, approaching the thicker end; eccentricity one-sixth to one-eighth. In large tubers 

 (20 cm. long by 2 cm. thick) the grains are larger and relatively more compressed, and have 

 rather more distinct lamella?. Length about 75;it, width 45/i, thickness about 25;u, average 

 about 55/u. In small tubers (14 mm. in length, and of equal thickness) the starch-grains are 

 smaller, relatively thicker, and with less distinct lamellae. In the narrow (2.5 by 4 mm.) 

 part of the root which bears these small tubers, grains are almost without lamellEe, more 

 rounded, and their size is about 18 to 24;u. 



Dioscorea saliva Linn. (Dioscoreacece.) Root-stocks. — According to Leon Soubeiran (Journ. Pharm., 

 1854, XXV, 181) the smallest grains are usually sjjherical or oval, the larger ones pear-shaped 

 or elongated, the largest ones indistinctly triangular; lamellae and hilum none. Length 40 

 to 50/(, diameter 10 to 20/(. According to Raspail, the size is up to 60/^. 



Dioscorea alala Linn. [Dioscoreacece.) Root-stocks. — According to Payen (Verhandl. der Paris Acad- 

 emy, 1847, July 26), the grains are irregular, spherical, and without lamellae; 2 to 13 adher- 

 ing to each other. 



Galanthus Jiivalis Linn. {Amaryllidacece.) Fresh bulb scales. — Grains almost circular and rounded- 

 triangular to oval, frequently broader than long; thickened and narrowed at the hilum end; 

 distal end broad and thinned; lamellae rather distinct, the inner ones complete, the outer ones 

 unilateral; hilum one-half to one-fourth eccentric, sometimes with a few short radial fissures. 

 Length about 28//. Among these are found some isolated, semi-compovmd grains. At the 

 position of the hilum several part-grains are found lying beside one another, causing the 

 proximal end to increase in width; also some compound grains with few, unequal components 

 (see type 15), and some with 2 to 5 equal components, mostly arranged in one row. 



Leucoium vernum Linn. (Amaryllidacew.) Fresh scales of the bulbs. — Grains rounded, triangular 

 with rounded angles, usually broader than long to twice as broad, rarely somewhat longer 

 than broad; strongly compressed; hilum almost in the middle of the thicker margin, from 

 which point a large mammary process projects; the distal margin is less thick and squared. 

 Lamellae delicate, often indistinct; eccentricity one-third to one-ninth. Length about 25 

 to 30/i, width 40 to 50ai. 



Phaius grandiflorus Lour. ; Bletia tankermllew R. Br. (Orchidaccce.) Pseudo-tubers. — According to Leon 

 Soubeiran (Journ. Pharm., 1854, xxv, 181), grains generally oval or triangular, some much 

 elongated, others with rugged protuberances; lamellae distinct; no hilum. Width 40 to 50/i, 

 length 100 to 200/i. Judging from the outline sketches, the grains nuist Ije much flattened. 

 According to Schleiden (Grundzuge, 3, auf i., p. 183, fig. 8), the grains are oval or rounded- 

 conical, almost twice as long as broad; lamella; distinct, frequently with an outer lateral 

 group of lamellae; hilimi at the narrow end, one-sixth to one-tenth eccentric. 



Zingiber officinale Rase. {Zingiberacem.) Dry root-stocks. — Grains rountled-cuneiform, oval, 4 and 5 

 angular, often somewhat irregular; half to as broad as long, the narrower ones compressed 

 to about one-half or one-third, and the broader ones to about one-fourth or one-fifth of their 

 width. The hilum end narrowed, triangular, or with a protuberance, which is sometimes 

 turned laterally; lamellae invisible; hilum frequently indistinct; instead of the hilum, there is 

 often a small cavity with 1 or 2 very short fissures; eccentricity one-eighth to one-eleventh. 

 Length about 45m, width about 30 to 40/^, thickness 7 to 9/j. 



Curcuma zedoaria Salisb. {Zingiber acece.) Dry tubers. — Grains oval, elongated, more or less trian- 

 gular, occasionally irregular, two-fifths to two-thirds as broad as long; compressed to about 

 one-half or one-third of their width (one-third to one-sixth as thick as long) ; from the nar- 

 row aspect of equal thickness throughout the entire length, with rounded ends; from the 

 broad aspect the distal end is narrowed-triangular or protruding, at times turned laterally, 

 frequently with a pointed wart-like protuberance; lamelhc numerous, delicate, and incom- 

 plete; instead of the hilum a small cavity is rarely present; 0.04 and 0.03 eccentric. Length 

 about lOfx, thickness about 12/i. 



Curcuma leucorrhiza Roxb. (Tikhur-flour, partly East India arrowroot; Travancora starch.) (Zingib 

 eracece.) Root-stocks.— According to Walpers (Bot. Zeit., 1851, 337), Schleiden (Grundzuge, 

 3d ed., I, p. 185, fig. 11), Berg (Pharmacognosie, 481), and Leon Soubeiran (Journ. Pharm., 

 1854, xxv, 178), the grains are oval, elliptical, ovoid, elongated-oval, or almost spatulate 

 or elongated-triangular; towards the base suddenly narrowed, short-pointed, or drawn out 



