132 



SIB B. H. SCHOMBUBGK ON THE iia BANANA. 



Orchidace(e\ my account 



linneaa Traasactions 



under 



igret that I did not see the raceme of the Banana, 



state of its growth ; for, although it was produced in a garder 

 within the city, I knew nothing of it, until it was sent to me bj 

 President Baez ; but as the flowers of Plantains and Bananas 



aU the diffi 



much 



alike, even a botanist mi; 



nature 



become observable when the lower seri< 



ed to form themselves into finiits, 

 affords, however, an additional instance 



favour 



opinion which I have already expressed (when giving an account 

 in the " Linnean Transactions " of the production of flowers on the 

 same spikes of three different presumed genera of the order Or- 

 chidacecd)^ that with regard to genera and species, we must prepare 

 ourselves for remarkable discoveries. 



Plants imder cultivation are much more subjected to such freaks 

 of nature, than when growing in their own soil and climate, left 



to themselves. 



know, from mv own exnerience in 



h - 



mingo, how little reliance can be placed upon the colours of fancy 

 flowers, such as roses, dahlias, piaks, asters, &c.: even in cases 

 where the mother-plant from which came the cuttings (in the 

 case of roses or pinks) , the roots (in the case of dahlias) , or seeds 

 (in the case of asters, &c.), were double, single flowers have suc- 

 ceeded. Por example, cuttings from roses of the China-stock wiUj 

 notwithstanding their havii^ produced one year flowers of the 

 variety of which thev bear the name, revert perhaps the next yeai 



ihinese rose of old standing ; and with 



dahlias, they have produced singl 

 colours on the same plant 



The 



degree in a dahlia called 



and 



deep maroon colour 



idged with maroon 



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