60 
ZINGIBER OFFICINALE. 
sword-shaped, smooth, pointed, entire, and stand alternately upon 
the sheaths of the stalks ; the flowering stem rises about a foot high, 
erect, round, alternately sheathed, with tubular bracteas, and 
terminates in an obtuse imbricated spike ; the flowers appear solitary, 
between the bracteal scales of the spike ; the corolla is monopetalous, 
tubular, and divided into three unequal segments, of a yellowish 
colour, and revolute ; the nectary occupies the mouth of the tube of 
the corolla, and has a bilabiated appearance : the lip is obtusely 
trifid, of a reddish purple colour, and marked with yellowish dots ; 
there is only one filament, which is extended beyond the anther, 
which is oblong, and of a whitish colour; the style is long and 
filiform : the stigma is obtuse and villous ; the capsule is three-celled, 
and contains many seeds. 
This plant is the Amomum Zingiber of Wildenow, the Zingiber 
Majusof Riimphius,* and the Ziyyi^epig (yf Dioscorides: at Malabar 
it is named Ischi f Its Greek appellation is supposed to be derived 
from the Persian, Zungebeel; and probably the English name ginger 
from the district of Gingi, where it grows particularly abundant. 
In Jamaica, where it is now extensively cultivated, ginger attains its 
full height, and flowers about August or September, and fades about 
the close of the year. When the stalks are entirely withered, the 
i-QOts are in a proper state for digging ; this is generally performed 
in the months of January and February. After being dug, they are 
picked, cleansed, and gradually seethed or scalded in boiling water; 
they are then spread out, and exposed every day to the sun, till 
sufficiently dried; and after being divided into parcels of about 
100 lb. weight each, they are packed in bags for the market: this is 
called black ginger.J White ginger is the root of the same plant, but 
instead of being scalded, which gives the dark appearance to the 
former, each root is picked, separately washed, scraped, and dried 
with great care. We are told by Jacquin,§ that ginger loses part of 
its essential oil by being immersed in boiling water, and from this 
cause black ginger is less useful for medicinal and other purposes 
than the white. 
When the roots are intended to be preserved in syrup, they are 
dug up when the shoots are not more than five or six inches in 
height. 
* Herb. Araboinense, 5, p. 156, torn. Ixvi, f, 1. 
+ Hort. Malab. 11. p. 21, torn. xii. 
$ Long's History of Jamaica, p. 700. 
§ Vide Hort. Vindob. vol. i. No. 75. 
