262 CXLIX. SCITAMINEEZ. (J. G. Baker.) [ Musa. 
Habit of M. superba. Trunk 5-6 ft., 2 ft. diam at the base. Leares, as in 
superba, but smaller and rather glaucous, upper passing gradually into the bracts. 
Spike short, drooping ; lower floriferous bracts 6 in. ; flowers 2.seriate, 7-8 to a 
bract. Calyx and corolla yellowish-white. Fruit and seeds as in M. superba. 
3. M. glauca, Roxb. Hort. Beng. 19; Corom. Pl. +. 300; Fl. Ind. i 
669 ; trunk cylindric, leaves shortly petioled, bracts ovate greenish many: 
fid., calyx 3-cleft, petal obcordate with a large mucro shorter than the 
calyx, fruit obovoid-oblong subcoriaceous. Horan. Prodr. 4l. 
Dron: Carey. 
Trunk 10-12 ft. below the leaves, 8 in. diam. Leaves 4-5 ft., oblong-lanceolate, 
acute. Spike drooping from the base; bracts numerous, imbricate, the lower M 
} ft. ; flowers 10-20 to bract. Ca/yz pale, about 1in. ; segments 3, loosely coherent, 
linear. Corolla not half as long as the calyx. Fruit 4-5 in., 14 in. diam. Be 
smooth, globose, nearly black, 4 in. diam. 
** Stoloniferous. Bracts many-fld. Fruit pulpy, edible. 
4. M. sapientum, Linn. Sp. Plant. 1477 ; stoloniferous, stem tal 
cylindrical, leaves petioled, spike drooping, bracts ovate many-fid. usua d 
deciduous, calyx 5-toothed at the tip, petal shorter than the calyx iry 
Rumph. Amboin. v. 130, t. 60 ; Trew Ehret. t. 21-23. 
Indigenous in BEHAR and the EasrERN HIMALAYAS, ascending to 4000 
CEYLON, Thwaites; cultivated throughout India and the tropics.—DISTRIB. d 
isles, &c. p 
Stem 8-12 ft. Leaves 4-5 ft. oblong, bright green above, paler beneath. I" 
floresence about as long as the leaves; bracts ovate, more or less pruinose, lower ite 
in., upper much shorter, falling before the fruit matures. Calya yellowish-w the 
1-14 in. Petal oblong, about half as long. Fruit oblong, trigonous, 2-3 m. in e 
wild form, and full of seed (seedless in the cult. forms) tapering to the ce 
apex, yellowish green when ripe. Seeds angled by pressure, brownish-^ in 
rugose, } in. diam, ‘I'he privcipal varieties and subspecies wild and cultiva 
India are— Jer 
M. Dacca, Horan. Prodr. 41; differs from typical sapientum by leaves Pije 
green above white-pruinose beneath, pruinose stem, broad red border 9 
petiole and pale yellow fruit about 4 in. long with a very thick skin. Joured 
M. CuaxPa, Hort.; stem and midrib of the leaf red, fruit pale straw-co? 
about 6 in. long. differs 
M. SIKKIMENSIS, Kurz in Journ. Agric. Hort. Soc. Ind. nm.s.v. 164 de lin. 
from sapientum by its duller purple spathes and angled tubercled seeds 
diam.— Wild in Sikkim. Hook. f. & Thoms. (Herb. Ind. Or. 5.) Jeaf- 
M. PARADISIACA, Linn. Sp. Plant. 1477; stem reaching a length of 20 weg 
blade of 5-6 ft. and petiole of 2 ft., fruit larger than in sapientum, 4l ft. tent, 
with firmer pulp, not tit to eat till cooked, bracts and male flowers more pere! tif. 
Roxb. Hort. Beng. 19; Trew Ehret. t, 18-20. M. Clitfortiana, Linn. Hort 
i. t. 1.—Commonly cultivated ; wild in Ceylon, according to Moon. olet; 
M. siMIARUM, Kurz in. Journ, Agric. Hort. Soc. Ind. xiv. 297; bracts v - 
only one opening at a time, those of the male flowers convolute, fruit very smi 
Andamans and Malacca, Kurz. 166; 
M. TROGLODYTARUM, Linn. ; Kurz in Journ. Agric. Hort. Soc. Ind. n. 8. M log 
leaves narrow oblong, flower-spike erect, bracts greenish imbricated, fruit 3 1D. 
dark yellow or reddish brown.—Wild in Ceylon, according to Moon. 
