KAMPFERIA GALANGA. 
MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
SECT. II. SCITAMINEE. 
Gun. Cuar.—Anther double; filament extended beyond the anther ; apex bilobate. 
Spec. CHar.—Spike central ; leaves radical, bifarious, spreading on the ground, broad-ovate, downy beneath ; lower 
lip deeply divided into two ovate lobes, with a purple mark at the base of each lobe, the remainder 
pure white ; filament short, crest bipartite, recurved. 
Syy.—Katsjula Kelengu. Rheed. Mal. xi. tab. 41. 
Soncorus. Rumph. Amb. v. tab. 69. fig. 2. 
Alpinia sessilis. Koenig. in Retz. obs. 3. p. 62. 
Keempferia galanga, folits ovatis sessilibus. Hort. Kew. Ed. i. p. 3. 
Keempferia galanga. Willd. i. 15. Enumer. 16 & 
Keempferia galanga. Smith, in Rees’ Cyclop. in loco. 
Kempferia galanga. Bot. Mag. t. 850. 
Kempferia galanga. Row. in Asiat. Res. xi. 327. Flor. Ind. i. 14. 
Keempferia galanga. Roemer & Schultes, Syst. Veg. i. p. 27. 
Kampferia galanga. Sprengel, Syst. Veg. i. p. 10. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Roots perennial, consisting of numerous ovate tubers, with appendant fibres; stem sheathing, not rising above 
the ground; leaves bifarious, spreading, 4—6 inches long, and nearly as broad, strongly ribbed, green and 
smooth above, glaucous and downy below; spike central; flowers in small fascicles of 8-10, rising in succession ; 
common bracte or sheath lanceolate, acute; partial bractes to each flower narrow, white ; calyx sheathing the 
tube of the corolla half its length, white; corolla tubular, with a double border; outer limb of three equal, 
linear-lanceolate, concave segments, white; inner limb of three segments, the two upper segments erect, ovate, 
spreading, pure white; lower segment or lip deeply divided into two ovate lobes, with a dark purple mark at the 
base of each lobe, the remainder white; filament short, extended a little beyond the anther; apex in two blunt, 
recurved lobes ; anther double, crowned with the crest of the filament ; style tubular, slender, supported at the 
base by two narrow, subulate processes 5 stigma cup-shaped. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
This plant has long been cultivated in the Kast as a medicine, a condiment, and a perfume. It was introduced 
into this country as early as 1724, by Charles Dubois, Esq. but is not of very frequent occurrence in our stoves; 
the flowers, although very elegant, being of short duration, succeeding each other daily till the whole fascicle is 
exhausted. The roots seem to possess the same warm, aromatic qualities that are common to the genus; but Sir 
Joseph Banks found, on inquiry, that they were unknown to the druggists in London. The plant was found by 
Kempfer, in Japan, but only in a cultivated state. Srmith, in Rees’ Cyclop. Dr. Carey informs us, that it is said 
to be very common on the mountainous districts beyond Chittagong: where it is called Kumula, and that it is 
cultivated by the Joomma (mountain) Mug's, and by them brought down and sold in the markets to the people of 
Bengal, under the above name, who use it as an ingredient in their betel. As. Res. xi. 327. Flor. Ind. i. 14. 
REFERENCES. 
. Outer limb of corolla, filament and anther. 
1 
2, Upper sections of inner limb of corolla. 
3, Lower section or lip. 
4 
.. Germen, subulate processes, style and stigma. 
5. Floral bracte. 
