— 899 
COSTUS Pisonis. 
Red American Costus. 
MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Nat. ord. Sc1rAMINER. ie 
_- COSTUS. Supra vol. 8. fol. 633. 
C. Pisonis; foliis carnosis elliptico-lanceolatis acuminatis basi angustatis, 
spicd ovali arcté imbricata, squamis inferioribus apice foliaceis, corollis 
roseis. . pe 
acuacanga vy. Paco Caatinga. Piso Brasil. 98. = 
aco Caatinga. Marcgr. Braz. 48. quoad figuram, vie autem descrip- 
tionem. 
Caulis herbaceus, 4-pedalis, strictissimus, glaberrimus. . Folia grandia, 
Coriacea, elliptico-lanceolata, acuminata, versiis basin angustata, superiora 
_™Minora. Capitulus terminalis, ovi columbini magnitudine, squamis sangut- 
neis imbricatus, pauciflorus. Squamee lucide, ovate, obtuse, margine mem- 
_“ranacee, inferioribus apice foliaceis. Flores rosez, magni, ¢ squamis erum- 
Pentes, citd decidui. Bes, 
a 
‘Dr. William Piso, a Dutch physician, who published 
an account of the Natural History of Brazil in 1648, was 
_ which he has described with a figure under the name of 
_ Jacuacanga, or Paco Caatinga. His figure has not been 
Omitted in the compilations of modern Botanists, who have 
universally agreed in referring it to the Alpinia spicata 
of the elder Jacquin. But the last-mentioned Botanist 
describes his plant as having a yellow flower, and points 
Piso. Of Jacquin’s plant we have fine specimens from 
Guiana, communicated by Professor’ Hooker, and we do 
~ hot doubt its being distinct from C. Pisonis. The Paco 
Caatinga of Marcegraaf, which is illustrated by the very — 
Same wooden block as was employed by Piso for his Jacu- 
acanga, is probably a. species distinct from both those now 
mentioned, and remarkable for having its leaves white and 
downy on the under side, and very large heads of flowers. 
The kind to which allusion is made by Marcgraafas resem- 
the first author who noticed this fine species of Costus, 
Out the discrepancy between it and the Brazilian plant of | 
ry 
