58 



Captain Beddome's Contributions to the 



Cyclostemon Zeylanicum, (Baillon.) 

 (Sphragidia Zeylanica " Thw. " LaneasCigum" (Bed- 

 dome, Madras Journal) A'naimalais, moist woods, 2 ,000 feet. 



SCYTAMACEiE. 



Amomum Linn. 

 Amomum pierardioides, (R. H. B.) roots furnished with 

 long runners just below the surface of the soil, stems erect 

 3 to 5 feet high glabrous, leaves oblongo-lanceolate acumi- 

 nate glabrous above minutely silvery seriaeeous beneath 

 petioles 4 to 6 inches long glabrous deeply channelled, 

 sheaths ending in an obsolete ligula. spikes small 3 flowered 

 scarcely peduncled rising from the runners at some distance 

 from the stem } hid in the earth so that the flowers only 

 appear, outer bracts broad ovate, inner ones narrow lanceo- 

 late marcescent, calyx spathaceous opening on one side only 

 sharply toothed, exterior border of the corol of 3 broad 

 very membranaceous segments white, the superior seg- 

 ments ending in a horn-like process, lip very broad 

 spreading crumpled sub-entire or slightly 3 lobed, middle 

 lobe emarginate white with a streak of red and yelow 

 down the centre, furnished with 2 flat spurs at the base 

 which are slightly toothed and ciliate, filament nearly as 

 long as the anther (J an inch) crest of anther broad semi- 

 lunar entire, stigma wedge shaped with a ciliate mouth 

 scales of the germ 2 (1 inch long) truncated and fluted to 

 receive the stigma, rarely 2 extra short apiculate ones are 

 present capsule red 3 valved with nine shallow furrows 3 

 celled. 



A'naimalais, moist forests, 2,000 feet , fruit almost exactly 

 like that of" Pierardia macrostachys: , 



Allied to Amomum pulchellum, Thw. En. p. 318, and also 

 to A. maximum of Roxb. 



