848 sciTAMiNE^. \Musa. 



concave. — Tall often tree-like herbs, the convolute sheaths of their large long 

 leaves forming a stem of considerable height. Scapes protruding from the 

 centre of the leaf-sheath. Flowers clustered in the axils of large coloured 

 'bracts, and forming a long drooping terminal spike or raceme. 



A tropical or subtropical Asiatic genus, only known in America where introduced. 



Of this genus the common M. sapientum, linn., is often cultiTated, and Champion ob- 

 served a species wild in the ravines of Mount Parker, but did not bring any specimen. 



2. ALPINIA, Linn. 



Outer perianth tubular or campanulate, stiff, 3-toothed, and often splitting 

 to the base. Inner perianth petal-like, united at the base, with the stamens 

 in a tube ; the limb of 3 usually unequal lobes. Stamiual whorl consisting 

 of one large petal-hke labeUum, opposite to a single fertile stamen, and in 

 some species a small linear lobe on each side between the labellum and sta- 

 men. Filament not dilated. Anther S-celled. Style fibforra, with a concave 

 terminal stigma. Ovary 3-ceIled, with many ovules. Fruit globular, scarcely 

 succulent, but not opening in valves. Seeds few, arillate. — Erect herbs, with 

 a tuberous rhizome. Panicles terminal, narrow and raceme-like. 



A small tropical genus, limited to the Old World except where introduced from culti- 

 vation. 



Panicle drooping, the rhachis downy. Labellum full IJ in. long, with- 

 out lateral lobes .... . . . ' . \. A. 



Panicle erect. Flowers less than 1 in. long. A small lobe on each side 

 between the labellum and stamens. 



Plowers near 1 in. long. Labellum on a long claw 2. ^. galangas. 



Flowers about 8 lines long. Labellum sessile 3. ^. " " 



1. A. nutans, Rose, in Linn. Trans, viii. 846 ; Bot. Mag. <. 1903 ; Wight, 

 Ic. t. 2027. Stems 4 to 6 ft. high. Leaves bifarious, broadly lanceolate, 1 

 to 3 ft. long, glabrous. Panicle raceme-like, drooping ; the rhachis and ovaries 

 softly haii-y. Bracts under each flower concave, splitting longitudinally, 1 in. 

 long, of a pure white tipped with pink. Outer perianth like the bracts but 

 smaller. Inner perianth lobes pale-pink, the largest 1| in. long ; the 2 others 

 rather smaller. LabeUum full l^- in. long, sessile, ovate-cordate, obscurely 

 3-lobed, of a deep orange-yellow with a ciimson ground, without any accessory 

 lobes at the base. Frait globular, 1 in. diameter. 



In ravines of Mount Victoria, Champion, Bance. In Cevlon, eastern India, the Archi- 

 pelago, and northward to the Philippines. Frequently received in tropical collections from 

 the New as well as tlie Old World ; but in most cases either cultivated or escaned from cul- 

 tivation. ^ 



2. A. galangas, Sw. ; Roxb. II. Ind. i. 59. Stems nearly erect 6 to 

 7 ft. high according to Eoxbm-gh. Leaves oblong or broadly lanceolate, 1 to 

 2 ft. long, with a short round ligula at the base of the blade. Panicle erect 

 oblong, 8 to 12 m. long,. slightly pubescent; the lovrer branches often bear- 

 ing 5 or 6 flowers. Outer perianth tubular, 4 or 5 lines long. Inner perianth- 

 tube as long ; the lobes narrow, nearly equal, about i in. long. LabeUum 

 broadly ova,te,2-lobed, contracted into a long claw, with a short lanceolate 

 lobe on each side at the base. — Galanga major, Rumph. Amb y 143 t 63 

 Languas mlgare, Kosn. in Retz. Obs. iii. 64. Alpinia alba, ilosc in Linn 

 Trans, viii. 846. 



