x, C, 6 Teodoro: Philippine Bananas 398 
maturing gradually, the basal at about the same time as the 
basal fertile fllowers below. 
The fruits (Plate XVIII, figs. 1 and 5) are small, green when 
unripe, obovoid in shape, with long pedicels, arranged closely 
and packed together around the rachis, from 8 to 9 cm long and 
from 4 to 5 cm in diameter. The skin is thin, the pulp is reddish 
yellow when ripe, firm and sweet, and very palatable when made 
into “‘figs.”’ 
This species, originally described from Mindanao material, is 
apparently no more worthy of specific rank than are many of 
the varieties enumerated below under Musa sapientum. It is 
one of the edible cultivated bananas with a very characteristic 
fruit. 
Enetlog is said to be another name for the pitogo. 
MUSA SAPIENTUM Linn. 
Stoloniferous from the base, producing from 4 to 14 flowering 
stems in a stool. Trunk cylindric, usually green, measuring 
from 12 to 35 cm in diameter at the base and reaching a height 
of from 2 to 5 m. 
The leaves are elongate-elliptic, shiny on the upper surface, 
and in some varieties waxy below, usually thin and roundly 
entire at the base and apex. The length of a mature blade is 
from 200 to 270 cm, and the width is from 50 to 80 cm; in some 
varieties purplish; petiole measuring from 35 to 78 cm and 
scalloped in cross section, purplish in some varieties. 
The inflorescence is a huge pendant spike with fertile flowers 
toward the base and sterile staminate flowers toward the apex. 
The basal bract or spathe is large and elongate-lanceolate or 
oblong-lanceolate and does not generally bear flowers in its axil. 
It is either red or green inside. It measures from 40 to 65 cm 
in length and from 17 to 20 cm in width. The time of flowering 
varies in the several varieties, some producing flowers within 
ten months and some after twelve months or even longer. 
The flowers are arranged in dense, 2-rowed fascicles, in 3- 
ranked spirals. The size of the flowers varies in different va- 
rieties, from 5 to 9 cm long and from 1 to 2 cm wide, from 8 to 
20 fertile flowers occurring in a fascicle and from 3 to 12 or 
more fascicles in an inflorescence. Perigonium long-tubular or 
somewhat spreading, divided to the base on one side, 5-toothed 
at the apex, the lobes finally decurved. Scale thin, often sca- 
rious-margined, ovate, usually about half as long as the perigo- 
nium; in some varieties it is white and in some pink or purple; 
the tip is often acute and deep-shouldered or not. Flowers, 
