MONANDROUS PLANTS. 383 



,; A NATii\rE;;of various parts of hidia. Flowers during the hot season, 

 April an,d' May ; when the plant is destitute of leaves : soon after they 

 appear.' The dry root agrees pretty well with the drug known in Eng- 

 land, by the name Zedoaria rotunda, 



CURCUMA ZEDOARIA. 



A'rah. Jedwar or Zedwar (Gciduar of A'vicenna.) 



Sans. Nirbisha, Apavisha, Vishaha &c. 



Hind. Nirbisi, Nirabisf. 



Marhai. <5f Cam, Nirbishj, 



Beng. Banhaldi, 



Malab. Cuwa. 



Malay. 'Jomon, 



As the root is stated to agree pretty well with the rotindzedbary of "the shops, the Asiatic syno* 

 nyma are probably correct. Georgius, in his alphabetof Tibet (p. 447), remarks the correspon- 

 dence of the Indian Nirhisi with the Zcdoar or Zedoary; and the author of the Mekhzenu'lddvij/eh 

 also furnishes the Hindi na-me, (whence the corresponding Sansci^tt is concluded,) as the equivalent 

 for the ^r«A2c/c appellation of Zedoary. The Sanscrit term inrplies, that the drug is used as an 

 antidote to poison. The Malabar and Malay names are given B7 Van RIieede and Rumphius for 

 Zedoary ; and their descriptions are cited by Willbenow for this plant, but appear to suit better 

 with the next species of CMrc;<»?a. If the drug be not the true Zedoary, the synonyma must be 

 transferred to some other plant; except perhaps the Bengalese appellation, which was furnished 

 \ty natives from the inspection of this plant. Note by the President. 



2: Curcuma Zeruml)et: R. hid. pi- 3. No. 201. 



Bulbs small, and with the palmate tubers pale straw colour. Leaves 

 grcen-petioled, broad-lanceolar with a purple cloud down the middle. 

 Flowers shorter than their bractes. 



Catchur, Cachura, Cachoramu &c. o^the Hindiis, and Telingas, 

 Sat'hi, or Sotee of the Bengalese, 

 Kua. Rlieed. mat. 11. t. 7. 

 Zerumbcd. Rumpli. amb. 5. t. 68! 

 Amomura Zerumbeth. Retz. obs. 3. 55.. 



A NATIVE of various parts of I?idia. Flowering time the hot season, 

 before the leaves appear. 



M 4 



