Tas.. 5223, 5224 
MUSA ENSETE. 
Ensete, or Bruce's Banana. 
Nat. Ord. Musace#.—Potyeamia Monacta. 
Gen. Char. Perigonium epigynum, bilabiatum ; Zabinm inferius tubulosum, 
postice usque ad basin fissum, apice quinquelobum ; superius concavum, nanum, 
amplectens. Samina 5, sexto postico abortivo. Ovarium inferum, triloculare. 
Ovula in loculorum angulo centrali plurima, biseriata, horizontalia, anatropa. 
Stylus crassus; stigma infundibuliformi-clavatum, breviter sex-lobum.  Bacea 
oblonga, angulata, trilocularis, seminibus plurimis in pulpa nidulantibus sepius 
effcetis farcta. Semina depressiuscula, subglobosa, éesta crustacea, atra, ad umbi- 
licum impressa. Embryo orthotropus, fungiformis, in axi albuminis subfarinosi, 
extremitate radiculari umbilicum attingente, centripeta.— Herbee gerontogee, tro- 
pice vel subtropice, in Americam introducta, gigantee; trunco e petiolorum vagi- 
nis longissimis scapum radicalem, solo apice liberum, floriferum velantibus conflato ; 
lamina foliorum amplissima, valde nervosa; floribus in axilla spatharum confertis, . 
ebracteatis. Endl. 
Musa EHnsete, excelsa (40-pedalis) perennis, stolonibus nullis, caule basin versus 
valde incrassato, foliis brevi-petiolatis (vaginis longissimis) oblongis acutis 
firmis, costa valida dorso purpureo-fusco, spadice brevi-petiolato nutante 
dense spathaceo, spathis amplis, floribus densissimis compactis, perigonii 
labio minore longe mucronato, fructibus oblongo-pyriformibus abortu 1-3- 
spermis, seminibus magnitudine coryli avellane. 
Musa Ensete. Gmel. Syst. Nat. v. 2. p. 567. Hook. in Kew Gard. Misc. v. 8. 
p. 210. 
Ensete. Bruce, Trav. in Abyss. (Engl. ed.8v0) v. 7. p. 149; and Atlas, 4to, t. 8,9. — 
Enseré. Poir. in Dict. Sc. Nat. v. 14. p. 515. 
ANSETT. Plowden, in litt. — 
eee 
The celebrated James Bruce, of Kinnaird, was unquestionably 
one of the most remarkable travellers of the last century, but he 
unfortunately obtained little credit during his lifetime for his 
many interesting discoveries. It was left for future travellers to 
confirm their accuracy ; and if we consider the state of science 
at the time Bruce became a traveller, and the multitude of ob- 
jects that his researches embraced, it must be allowed that few 
have displayed more accuracy, and none more indomitable energy. 
It is now nearly a hundred years since Bruce entered Abyssinia 
with the view of discovering the source of the Nile. Tt was 
JANUARY Ist, 1861. 
