493 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL [L Jone, 1900. 
Botany. 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FLORA OF QUEENSLAND. 
By F, MANSON BAILEY F.L.S. 
Order SCITAMINEA. 
ZINGIBER, Adans. 
Z, officinale, Rosc., var. Cholmondeleyi. Queensland Ginger. Rhizome 4% 
in the common form. Leafy stems 2 to 4 ft. high. Leaves numerous, 
the middle ones on the stem exceeding 1 ft. long and 1 in. broad at 
the centre, shortly petiolate at the base above the sheath, the points thread- 
like; the ligule extending 4 or 5 lines above the attachment of the lamina. 
Scapes 14 to 14 ft. high, with numerous obtuse or emarginate stem-claspg 
bracts, sémetimes bearing lamine. Spikes ovoid or cylindric, about 35 1 
long and 14 in. diameter. Outer suborbicular bract about 1 in. diameter; 
upper scarious margin pale-yellow. Flower-buds yellow, subulate; when first 
appearing from behind the the outer bract it gives to that organ the appearance 
of being cuspidate. Inner bract about LO lines long, eat towards the end, 
enclosing the calyx. Calyx hyaline, tubular in the lower portion. Corolla-tube 
slender, white, enlarging upwards, about 12 lines long. Segments 3; the lower 
ones 3-neryed, imbricating; posterior one 9-nerved, larger and hooding ove? 
the stamen and style; all about 9 lines long, lanceolate, yellow. Labellum 
8-lobed, about three-quarters the length of the other segments, middle lobe 
oblong, margins incurved, undulate, purple blotched with yellow; the centre 
or disk yellow, speckled with purple; lateral lobes erect, ovate, embracing the 
stamen below the anther, purplish with yellow blotches, attached near the bas? 
of labellum. Anther ite, connective narrow, incurved, horn-like, dark- 
purple. Style glabrous, filiform, with a ciliate ring encircling the stigm 
Stylodia rather long. 
Hab. : Cape York Peninsula, inland: from Somerset, Cholmondeley Jardine. The plant 
from which the present description and illustration were taken was grown by Mr. P. Mac Mahon; 
Curator of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, from ‘a rhizome which I brought from Somerset in 1877 
Besides being a good commercial ginger, it is of interest from being the first of the genus met 
with in Australia. In a paper read at the January, 1898, meeting of the Australasian 
Association for the Advancement of Science, I referred to this ginger as being very free of fibres 
a feature which should recommend it as particularly suitable for preserving. The plant seems 
take kindly to the Brisbane climate. 
EXPLANATION oF PLATEs. 
Plate CCI.—Portion of plant showing leafy stems and scape; one-eighth 
natural size. : 
Plate CCII.—Flower-spike showing single flower, nearly natural size; 3 portions 
of same all more or less enlarged; labellum natural size. 
Plate CCIII.—Fig. 1. Portion of the leafy stem showing ligules. 
Fig. 2. A ligule flattened out. f 
Fig. 3. Flower opened out to show the calyx: A, outer bracts 
B, inner bract; C, calyx; D, anther; E, connective; F, sty+@ 
G, stigma. 
Fig. 4. (a) Ovary; (b) stylodia; and side view of anther. 
Fig. 5. Outer bract (flattened out). 
Fig. 6. Inner bract (flattened out). 
Fig. 6a. Inner bract (closed). 
Wateete, fabiy e 
Fig. 8. Corolla segments. 
Fig. 9. Ovary (longitudinal section). 
Fig. 10. Ovary (transverse section). 
