100 SOME RARE KINDS OF CARDAMOM. 



1855. 



XANTHIOID CARDAMOM. (FIG. 6, 7.) 



Xanthioid Amomum with small round, brown-coloured fruits in clusters, 

 Cardamom. No . 101 in W. Gomez's Tavoy Catalogue, 1827. MS. in the 

 possession of the Linnean Society of London. 



Amomum xanthioides, No. 1956. Wallich, Catalogus Plan- 

 tarum quas in itinere Burmanico a mense Augusti, 1826, ad 

 finem Maii 1827, observavit N. W. MS. in the possession of the 

 Linnean Society. 



Amomum ? xanthioides. Wall., Catal. of the East Indian 

 Herbarium, No. 6557. 



Among some specimens of drugs received from China through 

 the kindness of my friend Mr. Lockhart, was a quantity of the 

 capsules of a fruit resembling the Hairy China Cardamom, but 

 differing from it in the much more spiny character of the pericarp. 



Upon comparison, it proved identical with a species collected 

 at Tavoy, Gulf of Martaban, in 1827, by Mr. W. Gomez, in 

 whose MS. collecting-book (above quoted) it is defined as 

 " Amomum with small round brown-coloured fruits in clusters." 

 Dr. Wallich. I n Dr. Wallich' s 'MS. Catalogue of Burmese Plants (entitled 

 as above) occurs the following, in the doctor's own hand : 



" 1956. Amomum xanthioides, Wall. Very like A. aculeatum t 

 Roxb., but differing seemingly in the linear-lanceolate not 

 cordate leaves, and the fruit which consists in short rounded 

 clusters from the repent root ; it is of an oblong obtuse form, 

 thickly covered with prickles. Seems a tall species. Tavoy. 

 V27. w 



The next notice of Amomum xanthioides, I find in the MS. 

 Catalogue of the East Indian Herbarium of the Linnean Society 

 inserted thus : 



" 6557. Amomum ? xanthioides, Wall. (A. aculeate Roxb.proxA 

 Tavoy W.G." 



From this last entry, it will be oberved that a doubt seems to 

 have been felt as to the genus of the plant in question, a doubt, 

 I confess that appears to me groundless, if Amomum aculeatum 

 is an admitted Amomum. 



