192 
RIDLEY. 
1. C. speciosus Sm. in Trans. Linn. Soc. 1 (1800) 249; Roxb. FI. Ind. 1 
(1820) 58; Blume Enum. PI. Jav. 1 (1827) 01; Wight Icon. t. 201 1/ ; Horan. 
Monogr. (1862) 37; Baker in Hook. f. FI. Brit. Ind. 6 (1892) 249; K. Schum. 
in Pflanzenreich 20 (1904) 398; Ridl. Mater. FI. Malay Penin. 2 (1907) 24. 
C. arabicus Linn. Sp. PL (1753) 2, in part. 
C. crispiflorus Stokes Mat. Med. 1 (1812) 75. 
G. glabratvs Reiclib. f. in Moessl. Handb. ed. 2, 1 : 8, non Sw. 
C. vaginalis Salisb. in Trans. Ilort. Soc. 1 (1812) 277. 
G. Loureiri Horan. Monog. (1862) 39. 
G. foeniculaceus Noronha in Verh. Bataav. Genootsch. 5 (1795) 12. 
C. nipalensis Rose. Monandr. PI. (1828) t. 80; Horan. Monog. (1862) 37 ; Regel 
Gartenfl. 4 (1855) 341, t. 139. 
Banksia speciosa Koen. in Retz. Obs. 3 (1783) 75. 
Amonium hirsutum Lam. 111. Gen. 1 (1791) t. 3. 
A. arboreum Lour. FI. Cocliincli. 1 (1790) 9. 
Hellenia grandiflora Retz. Obs. 5 (1786) 18. 
Stems 2 to 3 m tall, 1 to 2.5 cm thick, covered with dull-brown 
sheaths, often branched above and spiral. Leaves oblong or lanceolate, 
acuminate, 15 to 20 cm long, 6 to 7 cm wide, the upper surface glabrous, 
dark-green, beneath more or less pubescent ; petiole 3 to 6 mm long ; ligule 
short, annular, reddish. Spike terminal, ovate or oblong, 7 to 13 cm 
long. Bracts ovate, mucronate, not pungent, red, 2 cm long, glabrous 
or pubescent. Bracteole shorter, lanceolate, acute. Calyx short, cartila- 
ginous, red, the lobes very short. Corolla-tube short, the lobes equal, 
mucronate, white, often rose-tinted. Lip very large, obovate, convolute, 
9 cm long and wide, white with usually a longitudinal central yellow bar. 
Stamen 4.5 cm long, the filament broad, hairy on the back, the crest 
oblong, acuminate, orange beneath. Capsule 1.3 cm long, woody, red. 
Seeds small, black, with a white aril, 4 or 5 in each cell. 
Luzon, Province of Cavite-Batangas, For. Bur. 761/6 Merritt ; Province of Bataan, 
For. Bur. 196 Barnes, Elmer 6707, For. Bur. 2771 Meyer, 'Williams 312, For. 
Bur. 21/60 Borden: Province of Rizal, For. Bur. 31/26 Ahern’s collector: Province 
of Tayabas, Gregory 80, Whitford 830: Province of Batangas, Guzner 21. Leyte, 
Elmer 7363. Masbate, Merrill 3393, For. Bur. 1696 Clark. Cebu, Bur. Sci. 
1727 McGregor. Mindanao, Lake Lanao, Mrs. Clemens. Basilan, Hallier s. n. 
Var. argyrophyllus Wall. Cat. 6555; Baker in Hook. f. FI. Brit. Ind. 6 (1890) 
250; Ridley Mater. FI. Malay Penin. 2 (1907) 24. 
Costus sericeus Blume Enum. PI. Jav. 1 (1827) 62. 
A more slender woodland form, with more branched stems, the leaves 
more pubescent, often silky on the back. Bracts and calyx less brightly 
colored. Flower-spikes and flowers smaller. Lip without the yellow 
central bar. Whole flower usually more distinctly pink-tinted. 
Mindanao, District of Davao, Copeland 1/1/8. Basilan, DeVore & Hoover 27. 
Luzon, Province of Bataan, Bur. Sci. 1588 Foxworthy. Negros, For. Bur. 5592 
Everett. 
India to Ceylon, Pegu, Tonkin, Formosa, the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago 
to New Guinea. 
Considering the wide distribution of this conspicuous plant, it seems to vary 
but little, though Schumann describes six varieties, of which the woodland form of 
