408 
Source  of  the  Radix  Galangce  Minor  is.  {^"sep^ti', 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1871. 
the  dried  flowering  plant  of  the  Galangal  with  separate  dried  flowers, 
as  well  as  herbarium  specimens  of  the  entire  inflorescence  of  A. 
calcarata.  The  result  is,  that  I  am  now  entirely  satisfied  that  the 
plant  which  furnishes  the  Lesser  Galangal  root  is,  though  very  closely 
allied  to  Alpinia  calcarata^  Roscoe,  a  perfectly  distinct  and  well- 
defined  species,  the  two  differing  in  several  particulars  of  structure, 
as  well  as  in  sensible  qualities,  as  the  following  brief  comparative 
notes  will  show : 
Alpinia  calcarata. 
Dried  mature  rhizomes  chestnut- 
brown,*  conspicuously  furrowed 
longitudinally ;  when  cut  across, 
with  a  stronger  odor  than  Galangal, 
the  cut  surface  remaining  of  a  fus- 
cous hue  ;  of  a  bitter  aromatic  taste, 
much  like  cardamoms,  with  a  dis- 
tinct flavor  of  rhubarb  superadded, 
but  destitute  of  heat.  Sheaths  and 
bases  of  the  young  living  stems  or 
shoots  more  or  less  tinged  with 
pink  ;  tasting  somewhat  like  rhu- 
barb, but  without  any  hot  flavor. 
Leaves  of  a  full  deep  green  ;  aro- 
matic, but  not  hot  in  taste.  Lig- 
ulse  3-6  lines  long,  rounded  or 
truncate,  and  frequently  bifid  at 
apex.  Racemes  compound/];  Flow- 
Galangal. 
Dried  mature  rhizomes  exter- 
nally rufous-brown,  only  very  finely 
striated  longitudinally ;  when  cut 
across,  surface  becoming  rufous ; 
aromatic  and  very  warm  in  taste, 
as  if  made  up  of  ginger  and  pepper, 
with  a  recognizable  camphoraceous 
flavor,  leaving  a  powerful  sensation 
of  heat  in  the  mouth  when  chewed.f 
Bases  of  young  shoots  white ;  tasting 
very  warm.  Leaves  of  a  rather 
lighter  green  ;  hot  in  taste.  Lig- 
ulse  9-15  lines  long,  acutish.  Ra- 
cemes quite  simple.  Flowers  with- 
out a  bractlet.  Labellum  without 
the  slightest  trace  of  yellow,  its 
veins  very  fine. 
*  Described  by  Roxburgh  as  somewhat  wooly  and  pale-colored.  Dr.  Thwaites 
and  myself  find  them  perfectly  smooth,  both  when  young  and  at  full  growth. 
The  young  fresh  rhizomes  of  both  plants  are  quite  white  and  succulent ;  but 
these  can  scarcely  be  alluded  to:  again,  some  dried  rhizomes  kindly  supplied 
from  the  Calcutta  garden  are  cinnamon-colored  ;  but  these  are  of  small  diam- 
eter, and  evidently  immature.  The  full-grown  ones  from  Ceylon  are,  as 
described,  of  a  chestnut  hue  externally. 
t  Cagsalpinus  characterizes  the  rhizome  very  accurately,  though  briefly,  as 
*'  subrufa  intus  et  extra,  sapore  Piperis,  modice  odorata"  (De  Plant,  lib.  iv. 
c.  62). 
t  So  described  by  Roxburgh,  and  so  I  find  them  in  all  Dr.  Thwaites's  speci. 
mens  ;  but  represented  as  simple  in  Wight's  plate  (Ic.  PI.  Ind.  Or.  vi,  2028) 
and  also  apparently  by  Roscoe,  and  in  the  "  Botanical  Register." 
