706 



MUSA rosacea. 

 Mauritius Plantain- Tree, 



POLTGAMIA MON(ECIA. 



Not. ord. MvsM (Musacea). Jtanm gen. 61. 



MUSA* Cat. profundfe 2-partitus, lobo BU^>eriore et exteriore 6-dentato, 

 infeiiore et iDteriore cordato-concavo. Germ, oblongum; ityhu cyliadra- 

 ceus; sterna capitatum 6-radiatum. Bacca cucumeiioa loculis et seminibus 

 ob pulpam evanidis. Flores in spadice terminales, spathis persistentibus 

 tecti, 6-andri, filamento sexto stenli et genuine abortiro ; cseteri omaes fru- 

 anferi et l-andh, fitamentis 5 sterUibua. Covfu Aer6ocetu ajtun/eni, vagiam 

 folionm longimmis tectui; ipadix »oHtaiiMa cemwu. fijenttiia vidU Atm- 

 phius inplantd sylvestri. Jusa. loe. cit. 



M. rosacea, spadice QUtante (t. erecto) floribus masculis deciduis, spathi* 

 ellipticis obtusissiniis, fructd oblongo. WiUd.»p. pi. 4. 894. 



Musa rosacea. Jacg. kort. sdiaub. 4. 22. t. 445. WtUd. enum. 1036. Hort. 

 Kew. ed. 2. 5. 425. 



There is some difference io the representation of this 

 plant in Jacquin's work from the one before us, bnt we 

 really believe the apparent difference arises principally from 

 the upper pprtion of Jacquin's plant being withered before 

 opening. An accident prevented our being able to exa- 

 mine the subject so accurately as we wished. The species 

 has been called rosacea by Jacquin, not from the colour 

 of the spathe, but from the form into which the valves of 

 the spathe expand at the upper withered end in his sample. 

 We do not believe that SpacUx erectits and Spadix nuttms 

 are available marks of distinction. Introduced from, the 

 Mauritius by Sir Joseph Banks in 1805. Drawn at the 

 Bayswater collection belonging to Comtesse des Vandes, 

 where the plant flowered in the winter. 



" The Banana or Plantain is generally considered to.be 

 '* of Indian origin ; Baron Humboldt, however, has lately 

 " suggested that several species of Musa may possibly be 

 " confounded under the names of Plantain and Banana, 

 '* and that part of these species may be supposed to be in- 

 " digenous of America. How for the general tm^tioa 

 " said to obtain both in Mexico and Terra FIrma, aS^^<'<eU 

 " as the assertion of Garcilasso della Vega respecting !l^rn, 

 " may establish the fact of the Musa having beien cultivated 



