ia, 
275. MUSA SAPIENTUM. 
Linn. sp. pl. ed. Willd. 4, p. 894. 
Spadix drooping.  Spathes ovate, many-flowered, deciduous, 
(those of the Female hermaphrodite flowers of the wild plant, often 
wither and remain till the seeds are ripe, but in the cultivated 
varieties they are always deciduous.) 
Bala. Rheed Mal. 1. p.17. t. 12. 13. and 14. 
Musa. Rumph. Amb. 5. p. 125.¢. 60. 
Ram-Kulla, Wally-Kulla, Ram-jacki-allia-kulla, are the names 
the wild Banana and Plantain are known by at Chittagong ; 
where they are found indigenous, in the forests, and blossom 
during the rains. 
Codali, or Cadali, the Sanscrit name of the cultivated Banana. 
Kulla, Keyla, or Kayla, are the Hindu and Bengali names of 
the cultivated Banana, and Katch kulla, the -Plantain. 
Aretti, the Telinga name of the cultivated Banana, and Komaretti 
the cultivated Plantain. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
The varieties of the Banana cultivated over India are very 
numerous; but fewer of the Plantain, as I have hitherto obtained 
knowledge of only three, whereas, I may safely say, not less than 
ten times that number of the former have come under my 
inspection. 
Their duration, culture, habit, and natural character, are already 
well known. I will therefore confine myself to (what I think) 
the original wild Musa, from which, I conclude, all the cultivated 
varieties (of both Plantain and Banana) proceed. 
In the course of two years, from the seed received from Chitta- 
gong, these attained to the usual height of the cultivated sorts, which 
is about ten or twelve feet. They blossom at all seasons ; though 
generally during the rains ; and ripen their seed in five or six 
months after, when the plant perishes down to the root, which 
long before this time has produced other shoots; these continue 
to grow up, blossom, &c. in succession for several years. Their 
leaves are exactly as in the cultivated sorts. 
i DESCRIPTION. 
Spadix simple, drooping. 
Spathes partial, numerous, ovate, concave, smooth, crimson on the 
inside ; outside darker coloured those (say 6 or 8) nearest 
the base of the spadix embrace a double row of female herma- 
phrodite flowers, and are not always deciduous, but sometimes 
wither, and remain till the seeds are ripe. All the rest, and 
they are very numerous, expanding in succession for two or 
three months, embrace similar double rows of abortive or male 
hermaphredite flowers, which with their spathes, are always 
deciduous. 
Calyx no other than the just-mentioned spathes. 
Corol of two dissimilar petals ; the extertor with unequally 5-toothed 
apex, which soon becomes revolute. Inner (sometimes called 
the nectary,) half the length of the exterior, when forcibly 
expanded nearly round, but in their natural state oblong, 
and deeply concave, with emarginate apex, and an incurved, 
uniform point. 
Filaments (in both flowers) five, with sometimes the rudiment of 
MUSA SAPIENTUM. 74 
asixth. Anthers in the male hermaphrodite linear, and as long 
as the filaments, in the female hermaphrodite minute, and with- 
out pollen. 
Germ inferior, oblong, 3-celled, with 4, 5, or 6 rows of ovula in 
each, regularly attached to a central, fleshy receptacle (axis,) 
by their growth they are forced from the regular situation in 
which they are found in the germ, their insertions cannot 
then be easily traced; in the male hermaphrodite abortive. 
Style cylindric. Stigma 3-lobed, large and clammy. 
Berry oblong, tapering to each end, of a soft, fleshy consistence, 
smooth and yellow, marked longitudinally with five ribs, 
3-celled, the partitions distinct, but soft and pulpy, and no 
doubt disappear when dry, and long kept. 
Seeds numerous, size of a small pea, round-turbinate, tubercled, 
exterior, half dark chestnut colour, or blackish; towards the 
umbilicus, which is a large, circular cavity, light brown. 
Integument single, kc. as described and figured by Gertner, 
vol. 1. p..28.8. 11. 
276. ALPINIA LINGUIFORMIS. 
Spokes radical, linear, rather open. zp linguiform, bifid, base 
broad, and spurless, sides incurved. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
A native of the interior parts of Bengal, where it blossoms 
during the early and latter parts of the rains. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Root perennial, throwing off numerous suckers, which run both 
above and under the surface of the earth; by which this 
species is soon multiplied. 
Stems tuany, erect, or nearly so, as thick as a man’s forefinger, 
smooth; 4-6 feet high. 
Leaves bifarious, sessile on their sheaths, lanceolate, smooth on 
both sides: length 12-24 inches, by 4-5 broad. Sheaths 
smooth, and rise a little above the insertion of the leaf. 
Spikes radical, solitary, the apex only rising above the soil, laxly 
imbricated with oblong, obtuse, smooth, exterior and inte- 
rior, one-flowered, green bractes ; besides the interior proper, 
tubular, thin, colourless bracte or inferior calyx. 
Calyx superior, tubular, length of the tube of the corol; mouth 
3-toothed, and split well down on one side; colour from the 
middle upwards deep red. 
Corol : exterior border of three, sublanceolate, obtuse, red segments. 
Lip sublinguiform, the base broad, and rises incurved, form- 
ing an envelope for the stamen; from thence projects nearly 
horizontal, into a long, linear, bifid lamina, with curled 
margins ; colour yeliuw, with a little red down the centre. 
Stamina as in the genus. 
Germ hairy, 3-celled: ovules many, attached to one fleshy recep- 
tacle in the inner angle. Style embraced at the base by the 
nectarial bodies, which are in this species bidentate. 
Stigma large, and red. 
