Tan. 781iT, 
MUSA MaNnNIit. 
Native of Assam. 
Nat. Ord. Scrtaminem. Tribe Muszaz. 
Genus Musa, Linn. ; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. iii. p. 655.) 
Musa Mannii; caudici gracili humile basi stolonifera, foliis longiuscule petio- 
latis lineari-oblongis obtusis basi cuneatis v. rotundatis, spica elongata 
laxiflora inclinata, bracteis oblongis cymbiformibus obtusis glabris roseis 
3-floris, fl. masc. 2-pollicaribus tubulosis flavis, calycis cylindracei striati 
lobis 5 minutis recurvis, corolla calyce breviore apice truncata breviter 
obtuse 3-loba, antheris filamentis pluries longioribus apicibus exsertis, 
baccis fusiformibus trigonis glabris. 
M. Mannii, H. Wendl. ms.; Baker in Hook.f. Fl, Brit. Ind. vol. v. p. 263. 
The Asiatic and Polynesian species of Musa are imper- 
fectly known, and the published descriptions being for the 
most part very imperfect, botanistsin Europe are depen- 
dent on cultivated specimens or on good drawings made 
from living ones for what little is ascertained about them. 
They fall under three groups, 1st, those with short 
ovoid stems, which are not stoloniferous (the whole plant 
dying after flowering), and with many-fld. bracts. Of 
these, M. superba, Roxb., figured at tab. 3849 of this work, 
18s the type :—2nd, those with erect stems stoloniferous at 
the base, and many-fid. bracts. To this belongs M. 
Sapientum, with its innumerable cultivated varieties :—3rd 
those with slender stoloniferous stems and few-fld. bracts. 
Of these the only satisfactorily figured or described species 
are M. rosacea, Jacq. of the Hastern Himalaya, and M, 
sanguinea, of the Assam Valley, figured at Tab. 5975; 
but it has long been known that others exist in Assam 
under the names of assamica, aurantiaca, dasycarpa, and 
‘velutina, All of these were, I believe, discovered by the 
veteran explorer, Dr. Gustav Mann, of the Indian Forest 
epartment, whose previous travels and botanical dis- 
Aveusr Ist, 1893. 
