ZINGIBERACE^;. 



the tuber, which consists of several, erect, solid, conical, pale straw or 

 pearl-coloured, powerfully aromatic fangs, which gave support to the for- 

 mer years' foliage, and are strongly marked with the circular scars thereof; 

 from their opposite sides, the scapes and stems of the succeeding year 

 spring, which form similar new tubers when those of the former year 

 decay ; but during their existence, there issues round their lower half, a 

 number of strong fleshy fibres, many of which end in ovate, or sub- 

 cylindrical, pale, white slightly aromatic tubers, which also perish with 

 the original parent. Leaves bifarious, broad-lanceolate, cuspidate, 

 smooth, strongly marked with parallel veins ; of a uniform dark green, 

 with the nerves or ribs red, from 12 to 24 inches long, by 5 or 6 broad. 

 Petioles and sheaths channelled, smooth, and of a deep red colour. 

 Scape radical, lateral, cylindrical, about 6 inches long, invested with 

 several dark reddish sheaths. Spike comose, 5 or 6 inches long, erect. 

 Coma less deeply coloured than in C. Zerumbet. Flowers small, bright 

 yellow, rather longer than their bracts, fragrant. Tube of the corolla 

 slender, its mouth completely shut with 3 villous yellow glands. The 

 pendulous tubers of this and several other species of Curcuma yield a very 

 beautiful pure starch, like Arrow-root, which the natives of the coun- 

 tries where the plants grow prepare and eat. In Travancore this flour 

 or starch forms a large part of the diet of the inhabitants. 



1188. C. leucorhiza Roxb. fl. ind. i. 30. N. and E. handb. 

 i. 24-5. Forests of Bahar, where it is called " Tikor." 



The palmate or horizontal tubers are particularly straight, and often 

 near a foot long : they run deep in the earth, and far. Their inward 

 colour, as well as that of the others, is a very pale ochraceous yellow, 

 almost pure white. Pendulous tubers numerous, oblong, inwardly 

 pearl white. Leaves broad, lanceolate uniformly green, about 2 feet 

 long. Whole height of the plant from 3 to 4? feet. Spikes lateral, 

 the inferior fertile portion not longer than the rosy coma. Flowers the 

 length of the bracts ; exterior border slightly tinged with pink ; inner 

 yellow. The tubers produce excellent arrow-root. 



1189. C. longa Linn. sp. pi. 3. Retz. obs. iii. 72. N. and E. 

 handb. i. 246. pi. med. 59. Bot. Reg. t. 1825. (Rheede 

 xi. t. 11. Humph, v. t. 67.) KUTTE^OS ivSt/co?, Diosc. according 

 to Fee. Cultivated all over India. (Turmeric.) 



Tubers oblong, palmate, deep orange inside. Leaves long-stalked, 

 lanceolate, tapering to each end, smooth, of a uniform green. Spike 

 central, oblong, green. Bitter, aromatic, stimulant, tonic ; employed 

 in debilitated states of the stomach, intermittent fever, dropsy. See 

 Roxb.fl. ind. i. 33. Considered by the native practitioners of India an 

 excellent application in powder for cleansing foul ulcers. Also used in 

 dyeing. 



1190. C. angustifolia Roxb. as. research, xi. 338. t. 5.fl. ind. 

 i. 31. -2V. and E. handb. i. 245. East Indies ; forests from the 

 banks of the Sona to Nagpore. 



From a fusiform biennial crown issue many fleshy fibres, which end 

 in smooth, oval, succulent tubers. Leaves stalked, narrow-lanceolate, 

 very acute, smooth on both sides ; from 1 to 3 feet long (petiole and 

 sheath included), which indeed is the whole height of the plant. Pe- 

 tioles from 6 to 12 inches long, the lower half or more of which, 

 expands into a sheath to embrace those within, the upper half or proper 



562 



