MUSACEJE. 599 



as the tubular corolla. — SI. t. 120 ; Jacq. Amer. Pict. t. 92. — Tillandsia, L. — Leaves l'-l^' 

 long, 1"-1£" broad, exterior bracts 3"-2", flowers about 1|" long. — Hab. Jamaica !, 

 Wullschl., on trees ; [Cuba! to Guiana!]. 



C. serrata, Schult. (Tillandsia, L.), a doubtful Jamaica plant, is evidently no congener, 

 but from Plum. Ed. Btirm. I. 75. f. 1, may be one of our Ananassea. 



12. CATOPSIS, Gr. 



(Tussaria, Kl., non Reichenb.) 



Character of Tillandsia, but stigmas subsessile, funiculi incurved, dissolved into flex nose 

 hairs from the base upwards, pappus spreading from the hilum, and pendulous seeds termi- 

 nated with a blunt coma. — Habit of Tillandsia : flowers pluriserial, in lax spikes ; stamens 

 included : anthers oval. 



36. C. nutans, Gr. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, narrowly acuminate, ventricose at the 

 base, dotted, most rosulate ; spikes slender, distant in a loose, simply branched panicle : 

 bractlets about as long as their internodes ; sepals 3, spathulate, half as long again as the 

 bractlet ; petals spathulate, subincluded, " white ; " capsule twice-thrice as long as the ca- 

 lyx ; pappus rusty-whitish. — Tillandsia, Sw. T. Berteroana, Schult. — 1'-2' high, usually 

 nodding; leaves 6"-10" long, 1J"— 1" broad; sepals 2'" long. — Hab. Jamaica!, Pd., 

 Wullschl., on trees; Antigua!, Wullschl., Dominica!, Imr. ; [Cuba!, Haiti]. 



37. C. nitida, Gr. Leaves oblong, mucronate-rounded at the top, slightly dilated at 

 the base, devoid of scaly down, shining-green, all rosulate ; spike simple, or simply branched, 

 slender, nodding : bractlets ovate, bluutish, as long as their internodes ; sepals 3, elliptical, 

 a little longer than the bractlet ; petals " whitish," subinclnded ; capsule twice as long as the 

 calyx; pappus rustv-whitish. — Tillandsia, Hook.! Tussaria, Beer. — 6"-18" high; leaves 

 8"-4" long, 12"'-8'" broad ; sepals 2"'-4"' long.— Hab. Jamaica !, Pd., Wils., on trees, 

 summit of Dolphin's peak : [Cuba !, Guadeloupe ! j Guiana !]. 



CXLV. MUSACEiE. 



Perigone coloured, unequal, 2-seriate ; each series of 3 divisions. Stamens 6, one (-seve- 

 ral) sterile, or abortive. Ovary inferior, 3-celled. Embryo axile, in amylaceous perisperm. 

 — Herbs, often arborescent, simple ; leaf-blade entire, costate. 



The Banana (Musa sapientum) and the Plantain (M. paradisiaca) are known as most 

 valuable tropical plants, for the abundance of nutritive food afforded by this fruit. The 

 large leaves of Musa are used for thatching, and all Musacea are fibre-plants. 



1. MUSA, L. 



Perigone 2-lipped : exterior and inferior lip 5(-3)-lobed at the summit, interior and su- 

 perior (labellum) smaller, entire. Superior stamen abortive. Ovary-cells many-ovulate. 

 Pericarp baccate. — Arborescent herbs ; leaves rosulate at the summit of the stem ; flowers 

 often unisexual, ebracteolate-glomerate in the axils of large bracts (the spathesj, the glo- 

 merules spicate along a long axis (the spadix). 



1*. M. paradisiaca, L. Stem green ; leaves oblong ; spadix nodding : fruits ascend- 

 ing, long-subcylindrical, incurved.— 'Puss. Fl. 1. t. 1. 2. — Friu't 1' long. — Hab. Naturalized 

 and cultivated, e.g. Jamaica!, Wils. ; [all tropical countries]. 



2*. M. sapientum, L. Stem "purple-spotted;" leaves oblong; spadix nodding: 

 fruits obliquely elliptical-oblong (5"-6" long). — Hab. Naturalized and cultivated, e.g. An- 

 tigua!, Wullschl.; [all tropical countries]. 



2. HELICONIA, L. 



Perigone 2-lipped : superior lip terminated with 2 seriate, 5-3 teeth or lobes, inferior 

 and exterior as long, entire. Inferior stamen sterile. Ovary-cells 1 -ovulate. Capsule 

 drupaceous, 3-coecous. — Stem sheathed by the base of the petioles ; flowers bracteolate, 

 glomerate or fascicled in the axils of distichous bracts. 



