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characters may be derived. About the comparative dimensions of the parts 

 and their adult shape this examination gives no or a false light. 



In many cases this is a consequence of the soft structure of the often 

 large flowers, the members of which once glued together cannot be sepa- 

 rated uninjured, but in some genera the flowers are combined into dense, 

 many flowered, bracteate spikes or racemes, growing near the soil and here 

 flowers and young fruit are most often immersed in a hygroscopical muci- 

 lage, by means of which they are glued together, while drying up, to 

 undisentanglable clumps. 



A particular difficulty offer the flowers in some genera even when 

 separated from their inflorescences before drying, by the slow way of 

 dying during which the lip (Nicolaia) or the upper part of the tube 

 (Curcuma) increases in thickness and in the same time curls up forming 

 rather solid knots in which the original shape of the flowerparts is not to 

 be recognised. By Zingiber in the same way the top of the tube shrinks 

 together and cuts off the limb. Here is a very quick drying of the separate 

 flowers under a moderate pressure most desirable. Flowers of Curcuma, 

 pressed between blotting paper, without artificial heating, conserve during 

 24 hours the faculty of curling up, if the pressure be removed. 



1 may suppose the collector to be acquainted with the general rules 

 of preparing herbarium. There are plenty directions to their information, 

 none, however, more ad rem and more complete than the direction given 

 by Prain (Memoirs and Memoranda, 1894) which of course is in every 

 collectors hands in the tropics. 



Regarding the plant group in consideration I refer the collector to the 

 directions given by Turrill (in Kew Bulletin 1914) how to prepare for 

 the herbarium specimens of Hedychium so as to procure complete and 

 satisfactory materials for a scientific study. The hints here given are also 

 applicable to most other genera of the order, but suppose plenty of material, 

 all necessary accomodations and some leisure. 1 only will indicate a few 

 points which not being taken to heart by the collector depreciate often very 

 much the value of the collected materials and reduce some rare and unique 

 plants, collected with much painstaking, to useless tr^sh. 



The collector always should remember the saying of Prain (I.e.) that „ a 

 few specimens well preserved are worth a whole hayrick of rotten material". 



It is now rather usual, in collecting, to preserve some separate flowers 

 or entire inflorescences in alcohol. Of course this gives best chances for 

 procuring uninjured flowers for examination. Still even in this process 

 often much valuable material is spoiled. • 



So I often received entire inflorescences of Zingiber species, also of 

 some Amomum and Nicolaia in alcohol. Now these inflorescences are more 

 or less globose or cylindrical spikes, covered with rather rigid densely 



