- 68 - 



the base only 11 mm. broad, staminodes 14 X 8, filam. 3 X 3-5, faux 

 13 X 22 (explicated), tube 15. Aiithera 6.5 mm., cells 4.5, spurs 4 mm. 

 (protruded only 2 mm.), stylodes 5— 5 mm. The colour of the rather leathery 

 petals and faux and tube is dark pink-red, inner parts pale yellow (216) mid 

 part of the lip deep yellow; (181) calyx white with red teeth, anthers 

 white. 



Distribution and native names. Thisspeciesiscultivated through- 

 out Java and is growing spontaneously in the mountainous regions at 500 — 750 

 M., in dry grassy fields and in the teak forests. Backer (9537) andjeswiet 

 collected it growing sociably of the more common and very nearly related 

 C. phaeocaulis (see under); moreover Jeswiei met with it on the Tenger, 

 the Ardjoena and the Slamat at the border of shrubbery and in grassy spots, 

 also in planted teak-forests. Koorders collected it on mt Idjen at Situbondo, 

 Res: Besuki at 400 M., flowering in November (Kds. 20658 B 20751 B) and in 

 teak forets at Kedoengdjati (25298 B). He however, found the rhizomes filled 

 with airholes, a statement rather incredible. Rumph makes mention of the 

 malay name of this species "temu item", it seems to have been introduced 

 in Ambon from Java. 



Native name: invariably "temu item" mal, "temu ireng" jav; but the 

 same name is given to C. phaeocaulis Val. (vide infra). 



Outside of Java this- species is known from the following places: 



Malacca: Some rhizomes where kindly sent by the curator of the Bot. 

 Gardens at Singapore, cultivated by the malays as "Temu itam". They 

 flowered and proved identical with the Java specimens. 



Burma: Here the type specimen was collected. 



Cochinchine : cultivated in gardens, Qagnepain (1908, 68), Cambodge: 

 spontaneous. 



The description of this species by Qagnepain agrees rather well with 

 mine, only the sessile leaves and the red cloud stretching along the midrib 

 mentioned by him are only to be found in young plants. In adult plants 

 the cloud never reaches below the middle of the leaf, and the leaves have 

 mediocre petioles, as also described by Roxburgh. 



The determination of the here described species as C. aeruginosa Roxb 

 is quite certain. As well the description of Roxburgh as the picture of 

 RoscOE quite agree with it. The purple cloud in the center of the leaves 

 ceasing abruptly below the middle is a very good characteristic. 



But the verdigris-colour of the rhizomes on which the name is based 

 occurs in the Javanese plants only in young rhizomes. The old rhizomes 

 and bulbs are deep indigo-blue. 



Roxburgh reduces Rumph's "temu itam" which is manifestly the same 

 as our Javanese plant, to a Bengalese species, Curcuma caesia Roxb. But 

 this reduction is contrary to his description of the species. 



