ALPINIA BRACTEATA. 
MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
SECT. II. SCITAMINES. 
Grn. Cuar.—Anther double, embracing the style; filament erect, simple, not extending beyond the anther ; 
inner limb of corolla unilabiate. 
Srec. Cuar.—Filament long, subulate; anther ovate; stem jointed, inclined to spiral; leaves lanceolate-acute, 
on bracteated petioles ; lip panduriform, tripartite, crenate. 
Syy.—Alpinia bracteata. Roscoe, in Trans. Lin. Soc. y. xi. p. 281. 
Alpinia bracteata. Smith, in Rees’ Cyclop. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Stem cylindrical, somewhat spiral; leaves lanceolate-acute; bractes foliaceous, rising from the joints of the 
stem, and inclosing the petioles until their union with the leaf; spike terminal, in a loose panicle, many- 
flowered, erect ; calyx superior, in three leaves; corolla with a double limb; outer limb in three ovate sections, 
the middle one rather larger, and hooded over the filament and anther, of a pure transparent white ; inner 
limb, or lip, of one petal, deeply indented at the sides, so as to form three nearly equal, obtuse lobes, which 
are undulate or crenate at the margin; colour bright yellow, with purple rays diverging from the base, 
where it is furnished with hornlets or spurs, as usual in most other species of this genus; filament about 
the length of the middle section of the outer limb of the corolla, subulate, grooved, of a crimson colour, 
supporting a large, ovate, two-lobed anther; style filiform, inclosed in the groove of the filament, and projecting 
a little beyond the anther; stigma a ciliated cup. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Another singular species of Alpinia, from a drawing in the collection of the Right Hon. Lord Stanley, 
at Knowsley, to whom we are indebted for permission to publish it. Although extremely unlike any other 
known species of this genus, it presents at the first view such a decided character, as to leave not the 
slightest doubt that eden a plant exists, although it has not been introduced into this country, nor mentioned, 
as we believe, by any traveller. Some account of it has already been given by the author of the 
present work, in Lin. Trans. vol. xi. p. 281, (not in vol. ix, as erroneously referred to, in the description 
of Alpinia diffissa,) and both this and the diffissa are also noticed by Sir J. E. Smith, in Rees’ Cyclop. a 
circumstance omitted in the description of that plant. The habit of the bracteata is that of a Costus, rather 
th f Alpinia ; but an inspection of the parts of fructification, immediately removes all doubt as to _ 
an of an L; 
its genus. 
