VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 3 I 



ashey-grey, a little granular on the surface, and present on the 

 outer face a bifurcate furrow, shaped like a Y. " To this Han- 

 bury adds: "Compared to the large cardamom, the capsules 

 in question are more wrinkled in a net work manner, more 

 fragile and thin, and much less adherent to the mass of seeds ; 

 they are more globose, not triangular at the base, but flat, or 

 even depressed like an apple. Their color, in all of the 

 specimens I have seen, is a brownish yellow." The large 

 capsules are oval, or globular, pointed at either extremity, 

 with a tendency to a triangular outline, especially at the base. 

 They are sometimes attached to a long pedicle. The pericarp 

 closely invests the mass of seeds, is brown, and strongly 

 marked by interrupted longitudinal ridges. In taste, it is very 

 slightly aromatic. The seeds are found in a coherent three- 

 lobed mass, light greyish-brown in color, somewhat oblong 

 and angular, with a deep furrow on one side. They have a 

 slightly aromatic odor and taste, somewhat resembling that 

 of thyme, although very much weaker. In size, these capsules 

 vary from three-fifths of an inch to over an inch in length. 

 In the Chinese shops the cardamom is usually found deprived 

 of its husk. 



The cardamoms and the flowers are used in Chinese medi- 

 cine. The latter are employed as a carminative and stomachic 

 remedy, and are reputed to counteract the effects of wine on the 

 system. The seeds, in addition to the properties possessed by 

 the flowers, are used to correct offensive breath, in the treat- 

 ment of malarial disorders and fluxes, to counteract acidity of 

 the stomach, in disordered menstruation, and in the treatment 

 of various kinds of poisoning. 



ALPINIAOFFICINARUM.— ^HM(Kao-liang-chiang). 

 Faber gives [[] ^ (Shan-chiang), but this is probably a variety 

 known as Alpinia japonica^ or wild ginger. The plant under 

 consideration produces the ^'- lesser galangal r-oof'' of commerce, 

 and it is from the Chinese name for this plant that the 

 commercial term '''' galangaP"* is derived. Owing to the fact 

 that Wildenow gave the name of Alpinia galanga to the plant 

 which produces greater or Java galangal, botanical terminology 

 in this case became separated from its point of origin. The 



