— 60 — 



near Batavia (no No), and at Lengkong, 600 M. on grassy lawns, Backer 

 17092; while some specimens collected ad Tjitjurug, 325 M., among alang- 

 alang (Backer 17247) most probably represent the same species. According 

 to Blume it is very common in West-Java. 



The first rather good description, has been given by RoxB. (1820, 20) 

 who called it Curcuma Zerunibet. But Roscoe (1828 t. 109) changed this 

 name into C. Zedoaria on the base that this is the plant producing the 

 drug "Zedoaria" of the Materia medica described by Berghuis (Materia 

 medica 1788), and by Willdenow, to the name .4momu/72 Zerfoona, while the 

 drug Zerumbeth takes its origine from a species of Zingiber. The plant 

 described by Roxburgh (1820, 20 and 1798 t 201) and by Roscoe (1828 t 109) 

 must therefore be considered as representing the type of this species which 

 following Roxburgh and Wallich was indigenous at Chittagong and in the 

 eastern Himalaya. 



The Javan species here described, and reduced by Blume to Roxburgh's 

 species, agrees very well with the cited descriptions and drawings by the 

 above named authors. Only the Javanese plants seem to be of a higher 

 stature, for Roxburgh mentions as the mean heigth only 2 or 3 feet, and 

 Roscoe 4 feet, wile the cultivated Java specimens attain 5 or 6 feet. 



Outside Java the following regions are given by different authors as 

 being inhabited by this species. 



Ceylon, cultivated,: Hermann (1578, 636) and Trimen (1898, 4, 241). 



Malacca: Ridley (1899, 119 and 1907, 21). Ridley's description agrees 

 as to the flower with the Java plant, especially the brown line along 

 each side of the yellow bar of the labellum which is wanted in the type, 

 but found also in most Batavian specimens, sometimes however quite absent. 

 But apparently Ridley has confused this species with another one also very 

 commonly cultivated in Java and identified here with C. xanthorhiza, Roxb. 

 His description begins with : "Rhizome orange coloured inside" while, without 

 a single exception, all authors call the rhizomes pale or bright yellow, as 

 is also the case with our specimens, and he quotes the malay name temu 

 lawac (lawas?) which is never given to this species but invariably to 

 C. xanthorhiza, RoxB. Specimens of temu lawac kindly sent by the curator 

 of the bot. gardens at Singapore and cultivated in the Bt. Gard, in Buiten- 

 zorg belong undoubtedly to C. xanthorhiza, Roxß., while a form of C. Zedoaria, 

 RoxB. was sent with the name "temu l<uning", not mentioned by Ridley. 



Cochinchina, Annani: Gagnepain (1908,67). 



Amboina. There is no absolute certainty that Rumph has known this 

 species, but it is not improbable that he meant this species with his "Temw 

 putih" ; malay name still valid for this species in Java. Roxburgh and 

 most authors after him cite Rumph VI t 68 for this species though this 

 tabula shows a centralflowering species and undoubtedly represents either 



