328 USEFUL PLANTS OF GUAM. 
Mostaza. See Brassica juncea. 
Mucuna gigantea. Same as Sfizolobinn giganteum. 
Mucuna pruriens. © Same as Stizolobinon pruriens. 
Mudu-murunga (Ceylon). See Sophora tomentosa, 
Mugwort. See Arleimisia eulgaris. 
Mulberry, Indian. See Morinda cilrifolia, 
Mumutun ((iuam). 
A general name in the island vernacular for rank-growing weeds. — Cussia tora is 
called mumutun palaoan (female weed) or mumutun adainelon, Thename mumutun 
chiva (goat weed) is applied to a low, small-tlowered Composite; mumutun lahe 
(male weed) to an ill-smeiling hispid, blue-flowered labiate, with cordate leaves; and 
mumutun sable (sword weed) to Cassia oecidentalis. 
Mung (India). See Phaseolus mungo. 
Munggo (Philippines). See Phaseolus NINO. 
Musa paradisiaca. PLANTAIN. BANANA. PLATE XXII. 
Family Musaceae. 
LocaL NAMeEs.—Chotda (Guam, for the plant and green fruit); Aga (Guam, for 
the ripe fruit); Platano (Spanish); Saguing, Pisane — ( Philippines); Fa’i 
(Samoa). 
Bananas were growing in Guam before the discovery of the island by Magellan. 
. 
Pigafetta describes them in his narrative as figs a palm long.’ Usually the numer- 
ous varieties are grouped under two heads. Those of smaller size, which are sweet 
and which may be eaten raw, are called bananas and have often been considered a 
distinct species, Musa sapientun;s the larger ones, which are less sweet and more 
starchy, and which must be cooked before they are fit to eat, are called) plantains, 
and are considered by some to constitute the species Musa paradisiaea. At least eleven 
varieties are recognized in Ciuam, some of which were undoubtedly introduced after 
the discovery. Schumann, in his monograph, regards IM. supientum as a subspecies 
of M. paradisiaca.? 
Among the varieties noticed by Gaudichaud were chotdan ¢ patgon, asmall banana 
of fine flavor; chotdan lago (‘foreign banana’): echotdan tonduke, a giant plantain, 
probably introduced from. the Philippines, where it bears the name of ‘‘tondok,”’ 
having few fruits on a raceme, but these of great size, and having also a strong fiber 
which is used for cordage and for weaving into fabrics; and three forms of awa, as 
the ripe fruit is called: Aga Sumay (a variety cultivated first in the Village of that 
name), aga mahalang, and aga lanetii. In the last edition of Blaneco’s Flora Filipina 
the large plantain called tondok is called Mise cormiculata magna. its fruit is often 
more thana foot long and when cooked has a fine apple-like fhavor. 
Bananas are easily propagated by suckers, whieh spring up from the base of the 
old plant when the fruit: begins to ripen. When two or three bananas at the top of 
the bunch turn yellow the bunch should be cut off and hung up by a string in the 
house, when the rest will gradually ripen. Only one bunch is borne bya plant; but 
as suckers spring up from the underground rootstalk, the life of the banana may be 
said to be continuous. In Guam bananas grow almost spontancously. In Plate 
NNIT is shown a plantation of them along the road leading from Agana to the port. 
The fruit may be preparcd for exportation cither by cutting it into st rips or slices 
and drying it, or by inaking it into four In the first case ripe bananas are used. 
“Primo Viaggio intorno, PS. 
6 Monovrapl Musaceie, p. 20, 1500. 
¢The letter v appended to the generic tern chotda, takes the place of the ligature 
win the lanvuave of Guan. In the same Way the termination my is used in Philip- 
pine dialects in place of the leature mode Soe pe. LIA, 
