288 CLASSIFICATION 



The climbing habit and reticulate leaves relate this 

 family to the genus Sniilax oi Liliacece, from which it 

 is distinguished by the possession of an inferior ovary. 



Nat. Order lo. Scitamiriece. — A large family, al- 

 most exclusively tropical, divided into three sub- 

 orders, namely: 



I. Zingiberacece. — Herbaceous perennials with rhi- 

 zomes or bulbs, and broad simple leaves having 

 sheathing bases with or without petioles, pinni- 

 veined. Flowers irregular, in spikes or racemes with 

 spathaceous bracts; perianth 2-seriate, superior; outer 

 segments 3, calycine, sometimes spathaceous; inner 

 segment 3, more or less petaloid. Stamens i perfect 

 and 5 sterile, of which all or some are converted 

 into petal-like staminodia which are apt to be mis- 

 taken for petals. Ovary inferior, 3-celled. Fruit a 

 loculicidal capsule or berry. Seeds often with both 

 perisperm and endosperm (vitellus). The Order is 

 chiefly tropical. Common plants: ada or Ginger 

 (Zingiber officinale), the dried rhizomes of which yield 

 the Ginger or shoont of commerce; ban- (wild) ada 

 (Zingiber Casumunar); halood or Turmeric {Curcuma 

 longa), the dried rhizomes of which are largely used 

 as a colouring material in cooking; ban- (wild) halood 

 {Curcuma aromatica); am-ada {Curcuma Am.ada), the 

 rhizomes of which have the -smell of mango, for 

 which they are used as a flavouring substance; bhuin- 

 champa {Kcempferia rotunda); dulal-champa {Hedy- 

 chium coronarium) (fig. 262), a highly-scented white- 

 flowered garden annual; alach or Cardamom {Amo- 

 mum. aromaticum), a garden plant which seldom 

 flowers or fruits in Bengal; Alpinia Galanga, a 

 common garden plant with scented flowers; various 

 species of Globba common in marshy places and river- 

 banks, with terminal panicles, the lower flower-buds 



