201. CURCUMA 2ERUMBET.
Red tuberous. Leaves elliptic, acute, clouded, smooth, petioled
tn clieir sheathing bases. Spike radical, appearing before the leaves.
Amomiira latifolium. Lavmrck Encydop. 1. p. 133.
Amomum Zerumbeih. Kanig in Rch. Observ. S.p. 55.
Kua. R/wd. mal. I I . I. 1.
Zerurabed. Rumph.amb. 5. p. 168. I. CS,
Karclioora and Gaiidhamoolalca, are two of its numerous Sanscrit
Kutchoor, Catchoor, or Cachoraa of the Telingas.
Sotec of the Bengalese, also Huridra.
Zcrumbad of the Persians.
Root perennial, tuberous, about as thick as a man's thumb, as
ill ginger, with many, long, fleshy, whip-cord-like fibrous
ramifications, issuing chicfly fi oin tlie erowu of the tuberous
part of the root, and base of the stems and scapes ; these descend
deep into the ground, ami are often furnished with
simple, ovatc-oblong tubers, at a considerable depth below
the first meiuioiied horizontal superficial tubers, The substance
of tlie first or superficial tubers, is of a firm flesliy
nature ; outwardly of a light grey, and inwardly of a pale
straw colour; they possess an agreeable fragrant smell, and
warm, bitterish, aromatic taste. The oblong, more remote
tubers, are of a more spongy nature, and possess less aroma.
Stem, no other than the united sheaths of tlie leaves, snrroundcd
by two or three obtu.se, smooth, green, faimly-siriated, appressed
scales. Height of the whole plant about three, or
three and a half feet.
Leaves from foiu" to six. together ; in general a pretty long, somewhat
winged petiol intervenes between each, and its stem
forming base. The leaf itself is elliptic, fine-pointed, and
smooth on both sides, constantly purple in the centre ; veins
numerous, small, and parallel ; length from one to two feet.
Scape rises distinct from the leafy stems, and generally before
them, about five or six inches long, and surrounded with a
few obtuse lax sheailis, of various lengths.
Spike tufted, four or five inche.-; long (so that its apex is elevated
nearly a fi)Ot above the surface of the earth), imbricated with
oblong, concave bractes, united by the lower half of their
inuer margins, to the backs of those immediately above;
forniiug as many pouches as there are bractes ; about the
1 base of the spike these are broader, shorter,
ingcd with red, and contain about three or four
mellow, sessile flowers each, which expanding in
; embraced laterally by their own proper,
middle an
scarcely t
beautiful, \
smaller, short, colourless bractes. The superior bractes, which
form the upper part of the spike and tuft, are generally
stci ile, and of a deep crimson, or purple colour, or a mixture
of these.
Calyx above, scarce one-third the length of the corol, irregularly
three-toothed, semi-pel lucid.
CoTol funnel-shaped. Tube a little curved, gradually widening.
Border double: Exterior three-parted: the two lateral segments
equal; the third, or upper one, vaulted, and crowned
with a subulate point; colour a very faint yellow. Interior
two-parted : lower segment (or lip) broad, deep-yellow, projecting,
recurved, two-parted; upper segment of two lateral,
obovate, equal, pale yellow segments, nearly as long as the
length of the lower lip ; and between them a third which
is shorter and narrow, supporting the anther, and may therelore
be called the filament.
Anther two-Iobcd, the lower end of each ends in a long, sharp,
subulate hornlet.
G im beneath, hairy. Style slender, at the base embraced by the
two nectarial filaments. Stigma two-lobed, crowning the
anther.
It is a native of various parts of India ; in Bengal, it generally
blossoms in April.
The dried root of this plant agrees tolerably well with that
called Zedoavia longa in Europe, but not with the drug there
called Zerumbet.
The dry root powdered, and mixed with the powdered wood
of Cajsalpinia Sappan, is called Abeer by the Telingas, and Paag
by the Bengale.se; it is copiously thrown about by the natives
during the Hollee, or Hindoo holidays in the month of March.
It is also used medicinally.
This is one of six species of Curcuma which I have figured,
and described in India; all are plants of uncommon beauty. They
have all tufted spikes, and calcaratc anthers, which no other of
this charming natural order, that I have yet met with, have ; consequently
these are the best marks to know the genus by.
20i. GRATIOLA LUCIDA.
Liìin. spec. Plant. Edit. Willd. I. 103.
Annual, with diffuse, four-sided branches. Leaves ovate-cordate,
serrate. Flowers long-peduncled, axillary, and terminal.
Capsules ovate, hid in the calyx.
Crusta ollie n Rmnph. avib. 5 . 4 6 1 . i. 1 7 0 . / . S.
Stem scarce any, but several opposite, four-sided, smooth branches,
and branchlets. spread on the surface of the ground; their
length from six to twelve inches,
iiiii;« opposite, petioled, ovate-cordate, seirate, smooth.
FlonicTs terminal, and from the exterior axills, long-pcduncled,
bright, deep blue colour.
Capsule ovate, shorter than the calyx.
A native of low, moist places over India. Appears during the
rains, and blossoms in J u l y , August, and September.