47 VRTOCARI'IjS iNTEGltirOLIí
HEIIYCHIUM ANGDSTirOLlOI. 48
OBSERVATIONS.
A l.rgc tree, very genenlly ciililv.teil over ih= w.me r paili
of ^sia. Ii Joe, ,mi. in general, attain to any great l.eigl.t ; >0
or 10 feet may 1« reckonetl a l.igh tree t but with a very extensive
tlensely raoious, ever-green, slrady Itead ; particularly when
.tantling .¡ugle. riowering ti.ne the e.ol .ea.on t fruit ripe in
fnnr or five month, thereafter.
The frnit of thi, tree i, so univerially well-known, that it is
nnneeessary to say any thing respecting It , nor of the serfs,
which, when roastetl. are not Inferior to che,tnnts. In Ceylon,
where the tree grow, most plentiiully, and where the frnt, attain,
its greatest siie, and perfection. It form, a eonsiderahle part of the
diet of the natives, at particular times of the year.
The wood i, like mahogany In colour, after it has been some
Iline exposed to the air.and In some parts oflndia 1, u s e d » make
ful
lateral, with lineai, channelled daw, and two parted bmina,
the segmeiiii theieof semi-oval.
Fikment opposite to the lip, and twice Its length, nearly straight,
filiform, grooved for the style. JnHurr two-lobed, naked.
Gtrat oval, a little haiiy, 3-celled, with many milii in each,
attached to the axis. Slyl, filifonn, it, base embraced by
theusu.il two,tibulatc bodies. Siigmi iimnci form, project,
from the apex of die anther.
C,f„d, oval, .mooth, aiite of an olive, 3-eelled, s-valved, opening
from the apex.
S„Ji numerous, bright lucid led, and pardy inveitetl in a deep
red. laeiniate aril.
fcitje simple. lublanceolate, both eiuls obtuse, and amply fuL
nished with both albumen and vitelhis.
The Hindoos prepare bird-lime from the tenaciens. milky
juice, which abounds in all the uneatable parts of the fruit, and
young, tender parts of tlie tree.
EXPLANATION OF THE FIGURES.
Tl,e principal figure is a flower-bearlng brancliiet issuing from
i h c m m k ; natural size.
a. An entire male floret, b, The same witli one of the valvulets
removed, Eo shew the stamen,
c An entire female floret, tl. A vertical section of the same,
which exposes the pistil. These four are much magoified.
251. HEDYCHIUM ANGUSTIFOLIUM.
Leaves linear-lanceolate. Spikes open ; JasdcUs of flowers
subtern. Segnienls of the clefc lip oblong ; the other five segments
of the corol all linear.
HedychLum angustifolium. Bchn. fíegül. 157.
Bow-ada, the Hindoo name.
Native of Chillagmtg, SiU.H. and eastern parts of Bengal, .vhere
il flowers about the beginning of the rains in June.
DESCRIPTION.
Root tuberous, horizontal, jointed, fee. as in the other SdLamnous
plants. •Sums erect, 3-6 feet high, entirely invested in the
sheaths of Che leaves. Leaves bifarious, sessile on their
smooth sheaths, narrow-lanceolute, very fine, 1 may say
filiform, pointed, smooth on both sides; length 10-14 inches,
by 1-2 broad.
Spike terminal, erect, rigid, 6-lS inches long, smooth. Fascicles
of flowers generally three-fold, and spread out considerably
from tlie rachis.
Bractes exterior of the fascicle cylindrically-linear ; interior one
to each flower, and smaller.
Flowers, rather small, dull red. (laieritious), generally about four
in the fascicle, and expand in succession
Cal¡/x .superi of the tube ofihe
unequally 3-toothed.
Corol. Ti/ii slender, cylindric, about an inch long; 5 segments
of the border linear, (sub-filiform,) variously revolute. Lip
HEDYCHIUM GRACILE R.
pwers solitary.
Leaves lanceolar. Spiies terminal, opei
scattered ; segments of the biful short-clawed lip set
the other five linear.
Catteah lauffear. Hind.
OBSERVATIONS.
li-lai
A slender species, of about three feet in height
the Garrow hills, and like the former, blossoms duri
season. Its white solitary flowers, and lanceolar le
distinguish it from angustifolium.
Of this species the outline of a leaf, and a sin
flower are figured, at the bottom of tab. 151.
ile d
eadily
ssected
252. ALPINIA COSTATA ROXB.
Leaves linear-lanceolar. villous underneath. Spikes radical, hx.
Lip ovate-lanceolaie, entire. Capsides pedicelled, ovate-oblong,
nine ribbed.
OBSERVATIONS.
A native of the hilly countries in the vicinity of Silket, where
the plant is called Dow-Terrah. It blossoms about the begmning
of the rains, in June ; and the fruit ripens In September, when
they are gathered, and sold to the dealers in drugs.
Root tuberous,
Stems in cluste
patent on
of the le:
val kit
DESCRIPTION.
. in the other species-
1 the same root, from erect in the
uside of the clump, invested in tl
feet high, and about as thick as
tr-hnceola
rol ; mmdh
Leaves petioled above their sheaths, 1
underneath ; 2-3 feet long, by 2-4 inches broad
Sheaths villous, and rise in an obtu.se ligula above the
the leaf.
Spikes radical, oblong, laxlyirabric
the earth ; lower part, or scape
with shorter scariose bractes.
downy
ig but little above
he soil, and clothed
49 ALPINiA COST;
Flowers numerous, large, red, fragrant.
Bractes: exterior, one under each flower, lanceolate, ribbed,
smooth, pale yellowish pink ; interior or inferior pcriaulk
tubular, length of the proper perianth.
Calyx superior, length of the tube of the corol, tubular, with
3-toothed, coloured apex.
Corol. Tube cylindric, long and slender ; segments of the border
linear-oblong, obtuse. Lip with pretty broad cordate base,
from thence taper to its entire obtuse point, greatly longer
than the segments of the exterior border, margins curled.
Filament, anther, germ, stijlc, sligma, and nectarial bodies as in tiie
Capsules pretty long-pedicclled, ovatc-oblong, while fresh above
an inch and a half long, and nearly one in diameter, 3-celled,
somewhat 3-lobed, each angle marked with a longer vertical
rib, and two smaller on the sides, between the large ones.
Seeds numerous, obovate, a groove on one side, ¡nteguniaits 2 ;
exterior soft, and while fresh, it may be called the succulent
aril ; interior white, firmer, and rugose.
Albumen conform to the seed, white and iriable, perforated by a
spongy brown substance above the embryo.
Vitellus somewhat hyaline, and rises on each side of the perforation
like two horns.
Embryo subclavate. its small end lodged at the umbilicus.
OBSERVATIONS.
The form of the capsule.s (which is not unlike G<eTtHers [^rVier
EnsalJ and the acrid aromatic taste of the seed, induces me to
believe it to be the plant which furnishes the Middle Cardamom,oi:
Cardamomum medium oi oin- writers on the materia medica.
253. ZINGIBER LtGULATUM ROXB.
Leaves approximate, sessile, lanceolate. Spikes lax, more that
half hid in the earth, obovate. Bractes cuneiform. Lip subhastate
OBSERVATIONS,
•e of Hindtutan. Flowering time, in the Botanic Gardei
trider
peria:
, shoi
ZlNOiniiR LiaULATUM.
ter bractes, or ihey may be called inferió
Calyx superior, one-leaved, spathiform, about half the length of
the tube of the corol, irregularly tridentate.
Corol. Tube slender, the length of the exterior .scales of the
spike, incurvcd, Exterior border of three, nearly equal,
linear, acute, smooth, reddish divisions. Inner (Nectary
Linn.J, oblong, obtuse, margins much curled ; two expanding,
more or Jess acute, lobes, at the very base ; colour, a
pale yellow.
Filament short, below the two-lobed Anther linear, above it ends
in a long, taper, curved, grooved beak.
Germ oval, villous, ihree-celled, each contains many oviila,
attached to a central receptaclc. Style very slender, and as
long as to elevate the funnel-shaped ciliate sliffm even witii
the apex of the filament.
Nectarial scales long and slender, embracing the base of the style
within the bottom of (he tube of the corol.
Capsulesizeofalarge olive, three-sided, S-cclIed, 3-valved,
opening from the apex down the angles, inside of the cells
crim.son. Cortex leathery, striated, pale di:ll yellowish straw
colour.
Seeds many, oval, blackish brown, a little rugose, arilled. Aril
white, nearly complete, and ragged at the upper end.
Albumen conform to the seed, cinereous.
Embryo cylindric, central, nearly as long as the perisperm.
M I L I . I N G T O N I A ROXB.'
DIANDRIA MONOGYNIANATURAL
ORDER SAPINDI. Juss.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
Calyx 3-leaved, (and calycled). Cord 3-petalled, a nectarial scale
on theinsidcofeach. Gm«superior, 2-celled,cells 2-seeded.
Drupe with one or two-celled, ¿2-valved nut. Seed solitary.
Embryo curved, and folded, with little or no perisperm, and
curved inferior radicle.
DESCRIPTION.
Root joimed, running horizontal, at some depth under the surface
of the earth, and furnished with long fleshy fibres from the
joints; from these joints shoots spring, and by them the
plant is readily propagated.
Stems about two feet high, bending considerably to one side.
Leaves alternate, approximate, bifarious, sessile on their sheaths,
from cordate below, to lanceolate toward the top of the
plant; both sides smooth, and marked with parallel veins,
the under a paler green ; length from three to twelve
inches, and about four broad.
Sheaths smooth ; from the mouth of each rises a remarkably large
long strap, or ligula, which, by the growth of the plant,
bccomes bifid, and by ago scariose.
spikes radical, lialf hid in the earth, oblong, loosely imbricated
with cuneiform, pink coloured.one-flowered, exterior scales,
or hractcs ; and the same number of inner, colourless,
254. MILLINGTONIA SIMPLICIFOLIA ROXB.
Leaves alternate, simple, broacl-lanceolar.
OBSERVATIONS.
A large tree, a native of Silhet, where it is ailed Dauiit-nmggee
by the natives ; the timber Is used for various purposes. Flowers
in February and March ; seed ripe in July and August.
DESCRIPTION.
Leaves alternate, petioled, broad-lanceolar, and taper most towaid
the base, entire, very remotely subserrate, rather acuminate,
• Ilivvmg found il ncccssnty lu deprive our coudIO'""^, SirTliomasMMIiiiglon's
«icmorv orilio gciuis nssiKucd tliorounio by ibc younger Linnai.is OS,
bfcausc or, n.xling llio ri|,c of ll.o oi.ly species tlicreof. it ,,roves, ns [ long
su»i)ccted, 10 bo « real liignmiai 1 Imve reslorod tl.at re.^peclable i.ame 10 llie system,
i,,i(lcr a different dross, bv giviog it lo ll.o t»vo trees, at prese.il, eonstitulii.g this stroogly
marked fariily, «liich, 1 am meliiicd lo ll.ioh, bus not, unlil now, been described.