Flora Medica

Z1NGIBERACKJE.the tuber, which consists of several, erect, solid, conical, pale straw orpearl-coloured, powerfully aromatic fangs, which gave support to the formeryears' foliage, and are strongly marked with the circular scars thereof;from their opposite sides, the scapes and stems of the succeeding yearspring, which form similar new tubers when those of the former yeardecay but ; during their existence, there issues round their lower half, anumber of strong fleshy fibres, many of which end in ovate, or subcylindrical,pale, white slightly aromatic tubers, which also perish withthe original parent. Leaves bifarious, broad-lanceolate, cuspidate,smooth, strongly marked with parallel veins ;of a uniform dark green,with the nerves or ribs red, from 12 to 24 inches long, by 5 or 6 broad.Petioles and sheaths channelled, smooth, and of a deep red colour.Scape radical, lateral, cylindrical, about 6 inches long, invested withseveral dark reddish sheaths. Spike comose, 5 or 6 inches long, erect.Coma less deeply coloured than in C. Zerumbet. Flowers small, brightyellow, rather longer than their bracts, fragrant. Tube of the corollaslender, its mouth completely shut with 3 villous yellow glands. Thependulous tubers of this and several other species ofCurcuma yield a verybeautiful pure starch, like Arroiv-root, which the natives of the countrieswhere the plants grow prepare and eat. In Travancore this flouror starch forms a large part of the diet of the inhabitants. .1188. C. leucorhiza Eoxb. fl. ind. i. 30. N. and E. handb.i. 24-5. Forests of Bahar, where it is called " Tikor."The palmate or horizontal tubers are particularly straight, and oftennear a foot long : they run deep in the earth, and far. Their inwardcolour, as well as that of the others, is a very pale ochraceous yellow,almost pure white. Pendulous tubers numerous, oblong, inwardlypearl white. Leaves broad, lanceolate uniformly green, about 2 feetlong. Whole height of the plant from 3 to 4 feet. Spikes lateral,the inferior fertile portion not longer than the rosy coma. Flowers thelength of the bracts ;exterior border slightly tinged with pink ;inneryellow. The tubers produce excellent arrow-root.1189. C. longa Linn. sp. pi 3. Retz. obs. iii. 72. N. and E.handb. i. 246. pi. med. 59. Sot. Reg. t. 1825. (Rheedexi. t. 11. Rumph. v. t. 67.) KVTTSJ/JO? tvSj/co?, Diosc. accordingto Fee. Cultivated all over India. (Turmeric.)Tubers oblong, palmate, deep orange inside. Leaves long-stalked,lanceolate, tapering to each end, smooth, of a uniform green. Spikecentral, oblong, green. Bitter, aromatic, stimulant, tonic ; employedin debilitated states of the stomach, intermittent fever, dropsy. SeeRoxb.Jl. ind. \. 33. Considered by the native practitioners of India anexcellent application in powder for cleansing foul ulcers. Also used indyeing.1190. C. angustifolia Roxb. as. research, xi. 338, t. 5.fl. ind.i. 31. N. and E. handb. i. 245. East Indies ; forests from thebanks of the Sona to Nagpore.From a fusiform biennial crown issue many fleshy fibres, which endin smooth, oval, succulent tubers. Leaves stalked, narrow-lanceolate,very acute, smooth on both sides ;from 1 to 3 feet long (petiole andsheath included), which indeed is the whole height of the plant. Petiolesfrom 6 to 12 inches long, the lower half or more of which,expands into a sheath to embrace those within, the upper half or proper562