Botany of Southern India. 



5.9 



AMOMUM dealbatum, (Roxb.). A'naimalais with the pre- 

 ceding. 



Amomum muricatum (R. H. B.). 3-5 feet high, leaves 

 broad-lanceolate, almost sessile from the apex of their 

 sheaths which end in an entire ligula, and are furnished 

 with a knob-like gland at the base of the very short petiol 

 leaves deep green shining, glabrous on both sides 12 inches 

 long 4 inches broad, spikes (at first appearing as a globular 

 head) short peduncled, radical, lower bracts small, pink, 

 embracing the peduncle, upper ones crumpled turning brown 

 before the flowers expand, calyx double, the outer one 

 tubular, shorter than the inner, 2 cleft at apex, inner one 3 

 cleft ; exterior segments of eorol white to yellowish, lateral 

 ones narrow, superior broad-ovate, not ending in a horn, lip 

 deeply 3 parted lower lobe protruded and emarginate, 2 

 spurred at the base, yellow with a broad streak of red spots 

 filament longish broad more than twice the length of the 

 anther, anther-crest semilunar, very large, entire, yellow ; 

 scales of the germ 2 short and thick, the stigma rising up 

 between them f capsule globular pink-coloured size of a green- 

 gage, concave at the top, beset with numerous stout- 

 prickles. 



A'naimahus : moist forests, 2,000 to 3,000 feet 



