been kept in great heat. The flower-bud, as I have proved 
by cutting down full grown plants of Musa rosacea and 
Cavendishi, and I think also of M. paradisaica, remains at 
the root till a time after the plant has attained its full size 
varying according to its treatment, and then pushes its way 
upwards—its appearance at the top of the stem being 
preceded by the evolution of one or more leaves smaller 
than the rest. 
Descr. Stem scarcely any, the petioles spreading nearly 
from the root upwards on all sides, and forming a pseudo- 
stem of nine inches in diameter at the base of the specimen 
described. Flower-stalk (about five feet high from the 
ground) cernuous. Leaves (five feet long, by one foot 
seven inches. broad) lanceolato-elliptical, slightly unequal 
at the base, of a lively green on both sides, rather darker 
above, with a very narrow red edge, middle rib very strong, 
semicylindrical behind, with a deep rounded groove in 
front, transverse veins waved, especially near the base ; 
petioles of the lower leaves fully one-third of the length of 
these, and of the same shape as the middle rib, slightly 
stem-clasping at their origin; floral leaves gradually 
smaller till the petioles pass into large, ovate bracts, the 
lower of which only retain a small portion of the leafy 
expansion at the apex, but these, like the others, spread in 
a roseate manner, green without, red-brown within, forming 
after a few only have expanded, a large, elegant, cernuous, 
imbricated, circular basin, of a foot in diameter, in the 
centre of which is the cordato-ovate mass of unexpanded 
bracts, surrounded by the flowers, which are half concealed 
among the imbricated expanded bractee. These are 
persistent, and always concave forwards, never reflexed ; 
a few of the lower are empty, next are several with female 
flowers, the stamens being abortive, and then follow many, 
expanding in slow succession, deciduous, and covering 
flowers having the stamens fully developed, but with the 
pistil incomplete. Perianth single, superior, bilabiate ; the 
upper lip (an inch and a half long) coriaceous, linear, erect, 
revolute in the sides, reflected at the apex, ultimately 
three-partite, with two slender, linear, internal segments 
laid along the fissures, the segments usually twisted to- 
gether ; lower lip embraced by the base of the upper, less 
than half its length, membranous, diaphanous, colourless, 
deflected, three-lobed, the centre lobe subulate, and very 
slender, the lateral lobes scarcely half the length of the 
other, ovate, subacute, spreading. Filaments five, epigy- 
nous, 
