HEDYCHIUM ELLIPTICUM. 
MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
SECT. II. SCITAMINER. 
Gey. Cuar.—Anther double, naked, terminal, attached on the back to the apex of the filament. 
Spec. Cuar.—Spike capitate, imbricate, fastigiate ; outer bractes one-flowered, ovate, acute ; flowers radiated, white; 
lateral segments of the inner limb of corolla elliptic; lip acuminate, slightly bifid at the apex ; 
filament twice the length of the lip; anther scarlet ; leaves broad-lanceclate, smooth on both sides, 
terminating in a purple stipule or ocrea, embracing the stem. 
Hedychium ellipticum. Buchanan (Hamilton) ap. Smith in Rees’ Cyclop. in loco. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Roots perennial, tuberous, running horizontally near the surface of the ground; stem herbaceous, from four to 
five feet high, smooth; leaves alternate, on short concave petioles, broad-lanceolate, sub-elliptic, of a thin texture, 
smooth on both sides, dark green above, and paler below; sheathing smooth, and terminating in a short, obtuse, 
emarginate stipule or ocrea of a purple colour; spike terminal, capitate, imbricate, fastigiate, flowering in a radiated 
whorl, ten inches in diameter; bractes one-flowered, ovate, lanceolate, acute, with a membranous margin; inner 
bractes cuneate, membranous; calyx tubular, sheathing the tube of the corolla one-third its length, bidentate, 
slightly villous at the apex; outer limb of the corolla in three equal, linear, revolute segments, pale yellow; inner 
limb with two lateral segments, elliptic-ovate, or cuneate, standing on long channelled claws, and rather longer 
than the lip, pure white ; lip ovate, acuminate, bifid at the apex, standing on a strong channelled claw, pure white ; 
filament more than twice the length of the lip, scarlet; anther very long, two-lobed, scarlet ; style tubular, 6 inches 
long, supported at the base by two subulate orange-coloured processes, and terminating in a green, cup-shaped, 
ciliated stigma ; germen villous. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Our first notice of this beautiful, and as yet uncommon species of Hedychium, is from, Dr. Buchanan, (now 
Hamilton,) who gathered it, July 26, 1802, at Naramhetty, in Upper Nepal, where it grows about the borders of 
fields among the mountains. Sir J. E. Smith, in Rees’s Cyclop. No other Botanist, says Sir James, has ever 
observed this species, which would be as desirable an addition to our gardens as the coronarium. 
Living plants have been received at the Liverpool Botanic Garden, from Dr. Wallich, at Calcutta, and from 
Mr. Brocager, at Hoogly, in Bengal; from the latter of which the present drawing was made. 
REFERENCES. 
1. Outer bracte. 
2. Inner bracte. 
Intire flower. 
ye 
4. Filament and anther. 
5. Germen, processes, style and stigma. 
