igo A Treatise on 
rately have a flronger Smell, and a more acrid hot 
Tafte, fomewhat refembling the Tafte of Cam- 
phore. The Pods ought to be chofen inclining to 
red, for it has been obferved that the Seeds of the 
white or pale-coloured Pods are feldom good. 
This is evidently the Amomum of the Ancients, 
which is eafily proved by comparing it with its 
Defcription in Diofcorides. In later Ages it conti- 
nued for a long Time unknown, till Cechinni Mar- 
tinelli , an Apothecary of Verona , as Nicolas Maro- 
nea , or Managua , in a learned Treatife on this Sub- 
ject tells us, brought it again to Light. 
Botanical Writers have been furprizingly divided 
in their Opinions concerning the Plant which bear9 
the true Amomum, fcarce two of them agreeing 
upon the fame •, but all their Afiertions on this Head 
have been learnedly refuted by Maronea . We have 
yet no Defcription of the Plant in any Author. Some 
fuppcfe it to be the firft Species of Elettari , or 
the Cardamom- Plant, defcribed in the Borins Ma - 
laharicus. But we may obferve a great Difference 
between the Fruit of this Elettari and Amomum * 
fmce Cardamom or the Fruit of Elettari feems to 
be placed beneath the Pctala of the Flower, and, 
confequently, to have been the Calyx of the Flower : 
On the contrary, the Pods of Amomum are con- 
tained within the Pet ala of the Flower or Leaves 
of the Calyx , and therefore arife from the Piftil of 
the Flower. We may therefore reafonabiy con- 
clude that the Plants producing Cardamom and 
Amomum are of different Kinds. Befides, the 
Pods of Cardamom have each a proper Foot-ftalk 
by which they hang together in Bunches, but thofe 
of Amomum adhere immediately to one common 
Stalk. 
George Camellia in the Philofopbical Tranfaftions of 
London , propofes a certain Plant which grows in 
the 
