— Ig- 



or a yellow inner cortex. Their shape and colour may be sometimes of use 

 for determining certain species. 



It seems that in Java nowhere the amylum of these tubers is used. In 

 Hindostan several Curcuma-species are mentioned the root tubers of which 

 are used for the production of flour ("tikoor"). 



III. Inflorescence and flower. 



1. The inflorescence originates from the middle of the foliate stem or from a 

 separate side-branch. In the latter case a new foliate stem springs from a side- 

 tubercle of the flowerbearing tuber, together with or after the inflorescence. 



In the subgenus Paracurcuma the inflorescence is central. In Eucurcuma 

 this is only the case in a small group of species, Mesa/if/zû. In most species 

 the foliate stem originates laterally from the base of the flowering-stem, 

 Exantha. In the latter the flowering and foliate stem are enclosed at the 

 base by a common short white scale and both are further surrounded by 

 a number of closely appressed sheaths sometimes with more or less divergent 

 tips, open on one side, they have a rounded or blunt top with a thorny 

 point in the middle. On the flowering stems their number is varying from 

 three to ten. There are differences in their form in several species, but also 

 in several specimens of one species and especially in herbaria they are of 

 little value for determination. 



The peduncle enclosed by these sheaths is perfectly similar to the 

 central peduncle of the Mesantha. 



In both groups one or two, rarely 3 leaves are to be seen on the peduncle 

 and these show almost the same variations in different species. In the most 

 simple case they consist of more or less reduced blades without separate 

 sheaths and without ligula. These may remain free unto their base or adhere 

 with their edges to the stem, always leaving the back of the stem free so as 

 to form spacious pouches placed at some distance under the inflorescence ; 

 this distance is varying from 10 mm. to 180 mm. In most cases one or 

 two of these leaves take quite the form of flowering bracts; only they are empty, 

 larger than the flower-bearing bracts and their shape is a broad triangle. 

 Rarely, in the Exantha, those empty bracts are vranting and all the bracts 

 of the lower part of the spike are floriferous. 



As has been said before, there is in this form of the peduncle no 

 difference between Exantha and Mesantha, In a separate inflorescence, 

 destitute of sheaths, we cannot distinguish the Exantha from the Mesantha 

 and, alas, such specimens are often found in the herbaria. 



The spike is composed of bracts, whose number differs from 13 to 85. 

 Usually the number is not constant for a species ; so it may differ from 25 to 

 65 in C. purpurascens. In C.petiolata from 25—85. In C. Zedoaria there are no 

 more than 20 bracts, as a rule; the bracts reach then a considerable size. 



