DESCRIPTION OF MONANDROUS PLANTS. S19 



" with absolute certainty, until all the scitamineous plants of India shall he 

 " perfectly described." 



KcENiG was the first botanist of the Linncean School, that had resided 

 long enough in India, to acquire any tolerable knowledge of the scitami- 

 nean plants of this country ; for it is only in the living, or recent state, 

 that their flowers can be well understood; particularly the nice stru6Lare 

 of the anther, which is here of more importance in determining the genera, 

 than in any other order. From the labours of Kcenig, Retz was enabled 

 to make his arrangement, and there first pointed out the anther as the 

 chief organ; which has very lately been successfully followed up by 

 RoscoE in his, " new arrangement of the plants of the Monandrian Class 

 usually called Scitaminece." Trans, of Linn. Sac. 8. 330, To tliese autho- 

 rities, I gladly add my own experience and suffrage. 



Although amongst the plants of this very natural order, there is a 

 wonderful similarity, yet they very naturally separate into two divisions. 

 To the first belong such as are truly herbaceous, (that is, perishing annu- 

 ally down to the root,) viz. all the species of Curcuma, Kcempferia, Zin- 

 giber, and Glohha, as well as our solitary species of Hedychium. To the 

 second, or more permanent division, belong Canna., Phrynium, Amomum, 

 and Alpinia. Our single species of Costus forms a link, which joins these ; 

 for its stems are sometimes biennial, or more durable, though in general 

 herbaceous. 



♦ In all, the root is of two or more years duration. That part, which I call 

 the bulb, is solid, generally of an ovate shape, and gives support to all the 

 parts of the plant which appear above ground ; as well as to the creeping, 

 jointed, often palmate tubers; from these, as well as from the base of the 



