The Natural Hiflory of JAMAICA. 
141 
This is in every thing the fame with the precedent, only the Leaves 
are not fo much pointed, being broader by half an Inch. They are like- 
wife not fo dark green in Colour, the Footftalks being grey. The 
Fruit is larger, dtanding ona fhorter Footftalk, and hath no Hole at the 
oe 
: r grew on the Banks of the Rio Cobre near the Town on the fame 
Side of the River, as alfo near the Bridge over Black-River. 
Oviedo fays they made Ropes of the Bark of this Tree, if this be 
what he means by Gagey. 
VI. Mufa, candice virrdt, frucku longiore, falcatc, angulofo. Cat. Jam: pe 
189. Mafa, Mant. Phyt. Fig. 4, @ §.Dudaim, Ludolph, Ficus exotica crw- 
ctata. Steerbeck citri cultura,p. 61. Mula Banana Banantes, Ficus Indica; 
Munt, p. 26. Ficus Indica, ejufa p. 83. Figuiers ayants la fueihe environ trois 
aulnes de Long. de Feynes. p. 111. Ficus Indica racemofa, foliis & fruttu am- 
plifimis, Mafa Arabibus ditta Pluken. Almag. re {45- Plantain-Trees of 
Dampier, Pp. 9: cr cap. 11. oC. Mu/a fratiu Cucumerino longtori. Plumier, 
pl. Am. p. 24, Pa-cyao. Ficus Indica cr Sinica Boym. Flor. Sin, lit. B; 
ot Figues des Indes oa de la Chine. Theven. rec. p19. C. Mufa Steerb. 
citr, p. 61. Arbor Mafa Bananas, Grifl. virid. p. 7. 
The Plantain-Tree. 
This Tree, Plant, or Shrub, has a tuberous, white, and very large Root, 
fill’d with a vifcid Juice, and cover’d’ with a reddifh Skin, which fhoots 
up feveral Leaves, their Footftalks enclofing the Body of the Tree or Stent, 
as well. as ‘each the other; they rife to fifteen or twenty Foot high, more 
or lefs, according to the Difference of the Ground. The Leaves themfelves 
are fix Foot or more long, and one and a half broad in the Middle, 
where broadeft; fmooth, thin, of a yellowifh green Colour, and oval 
fhape, having feveral Veins running tranfverfly from the middle Rib 
to the Leaf’s Margin, making right Angles with it. Thefe Stalks as 
well as the Foorftalks, are made up of many Cells feparated from one ano- 
ther by Membranes, as in fome Water Plants and Rufhes, all fill’d with 
a waterifh Liquor gufhing out when wounded; the Leaves, when they 
firft come out, are whole, but afterwards, by the Wind are crack’d or 
cut into very narrow Parts, (imitating fomewhat the Feathers of Birds) as 
far as the middle Rib, to which they ftick, looking as if they were Pinne. 
From out of the Middle of thefe Leaves, cover’d by their Footftalks, being 
in all as thick as one’s Thigh, rifesthe Stem ftraight up, being folid and 
made up of many white Nerves or Fibres, fill’d with a vifcid whitifh 
Juice, the Top of it being bow’d or inclining downwards, ’tis at firft 
all cover’?d over with purple Spathe, inclofing the feveral Bunches of 
Flowers, and thefe Sheaths in fome Time falling off, the Flowers appear ; 
there are feveral Tufts or Bunches of them fet at fome fmall Intervals 
on the Stalk’s End, three or four coming dut together; they are made 
up of two or three Petala of a yellowifh Colour, with fome brown Streaks 
and purple Stamina ftanding on the Top of a fmooth, green, trian- 
gular, crooked Body ; this Body isthe Rudiment of the Fruit, and fwells 
bigger “till ic comes to be a Foot long, and Inch Diameter, {mooth on 
the Outfide of the Skin, of a green Colour before it is ripe, and 
then ’tis yellow; the Skin is about a quarter of an Inch thick, and is 
thrown away ; the Pulp is yellow in Colour, very fweet and lufcious, 
and contains, lying near four ftringy Subftances, as many Rows of fmall 
brown Seeds, when ’tis cut tranfverfly, looking like a Crofs. 
Nn Math. 
