THE.SCITAMINEJE OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 123 
Perak Hills. Maxwell’s Hill. (Curtis 2714; Ridley 5190): 
Gunong Batu Puteh (Wray 1013). 
CosTUs. 
This genus has its headquarters in South America, and a 
number of species occur also in Africa, In Asia it is much ra- 
rer, though one species C. speciosus perhaps the Rey in the whole 
genus occurs over the who ole of tropical Asia. wo other 
д. occur in the peninsula. It is one of the best marked 
genera in the whole order. The stems are tall and woody with 
the E arranged in a spiral, and in some species the stem 
itself grows spirally. Unlike any other genus except the allied 
puo from New Guinea, the stems frequently branch. 
gule of the leaf forms а complete ring highest at a point 
nearest to the petiole, below which is sometimes a thin elevated 
ring fringed with hairs. The spike is terminal or rises directly 
from the rhizome with stiff sometimes spiny bracts. The calyx 
is tubular with usually distinct lobes. The corolla tube broad 
and no longer than the calyx, the lobes wes lanceolate i 
oblon There are no staminodes, nor stylodes. The lip 
large obov ate, and rolled into a trumpet sha ape. 
be stamen is very broad and ide with the linear anther 
cells placed some way down a aid the apex curved up. р- 
sule is woody splitting on опе side exposing a number of black 
angular seeds. 
Costus speciosus Smith. Trans. Linn. Soc. i. 249. Bak. l.c. 250. 
С. arabicus Jacq. Ic. t. i. Hellenia тенен Retz. Observ, VI 
68. Banksia speciosa Koen. bs. iii. 75. 
about 10 feet tali and i to one inch through — 
with dull brown sheaths, often spiral, branched abowe. aves 
oblong acuminate cuspidate 9 inches long, 3 inches wid sre 
dark green glabrous, beneath more or less pube ied pE ке i 
inch long thick pubescent, ligule short surrounding the stem 
emarginate opposite the leaf ciliate reddish. Spike ovate or 
oblong terminal, very rarely from the rhizome attaining a length 
of six inches, many flowered, flowers solitary in the bracts 
gent red ? inch long, upper ones smaller cartilaginous. Inner 
