— 40 — 



Curcuma colorata, Val. n. sp. 



Herba florens circ. uni-sesqiiimetralis. Bulbi sat magni, ovoidei. Rhi- 

 zomata ex omni parte bulbi oriunda, horizontaiia et plus minus verticalia, 

 semper cylindrica et falcata, apice acuto sursum incurva, rarius elongata 

 et sigmoidea, ramis secundariis mox elongatis, sursum incurvas et rhizo- 

 mati aequalibus. Omnia teretia, 20 — 22 mM. crassa, extus pallide brunneo- 

 lutea, intus aurantiaca, squamis trigonis pallide brunneis. Radices filiformes, 

 plures filipenduli et valde elongati, tuberi penduli ovato-fusiformes, endo- 

 dermis et cortex internus aurantiaci (pleroma griseum). 



Folia 4 — 8 in planta florente, longe petiolata, oblongo-lanceolata basi 

 rotundata et induplicato-acuminata, saepe obliqua, apice sensim attenato, 

 vulgo 3,2 (3,5 — 3,9) X long'ora quam lata, 4 primaria magis minusve ovata 

 basi latius rotundata sub inflorescentia angustiora nunc valde elongata, 

 nunc diminuta. Folia intense viridia, versus apicem subpuburela, costa media 

 supra concava rubra vel atro-purpurea (parenchymate attingente semper viridi) 

 in foliis primariis, in plante adulta sensim pallidiorc,- demum saepe viridi; 

 costa subtus viridi parenchymate nunc purpureo transfuso. 



Inflorescentia centralis breviter vel longe pedunculata, pedunculo toto 

 vaginis incluso, petiolis longe superata. Laminae sub spicam normales ,vel 

 plus minus diminutae, folium pedunculare singulum saepius bracteiforme 

 trigono-ovata, dimidio inferiore saccatim adnata, bursae floriferae infimae 

 applicatae. 



Bracteae baud densae, Bursae latissimae, sat profundae, in parte infe- 

 riore spicae longiores quam partes liberae, in medio spicae lis aequilongae, 

 baud valde convexae, consistentia crassiusculae, arete precedentibus adnatae. 

 Partes liberae latiores quam longae, late ovatae, apice late brevissime rotundato- 

 apiculatae, suberectae apice patulae. Bursae superiores angustae, partes 

 liberae ovato-lanceolatae medio latissimae, patentes, basi marginibus sursum 

 incurvis constrictae. Bracteae comae apice submucronatae, fere omnes fertiles. 



Bracteae florales pro parte virides, apice scarlatinae; br. comae fere 

 totae intense carmineae. Flores magni sat longe e bracteis protrusi, pallide 

 aurantiaci, labio aurantiaco. Bracteae puberulae; pedunculus tenuiter 

 pubescens. 



A flowering plant, measured, attained 1,2 M., which appears to be the 

 mean height, though one very robust specimen cultivated by Heyne (H. 35) 

 attained 1,60 M. 



The rhizomes spring from the opposite sides of the bulb as well as 

 from the base. The primary rhizomes are short or mediocre from 50 — 

 100X20 and produce similar branches mostly on their lower side only; 

 all curve upward at their top and the sessile tubers form one sided or 

 rarely alternating rows along the main branches. Externally the colour is 



