476 Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary 



with the Schunda Pana ; yet, as I have great doubts on this head, 

 and think the two plants different, I do not know which Linnaeus 

 meant. I know the Schunda Pana well, and found it common 

 in the eastern parts of the province of Bengal, as well as on the 

 western mountains of the Indian peninsula ; but I no where ob- 

 served those large leaflets, that Rumphius represents as placed 

 along the middle rib of the leaves. The distinction is perhaps 

 of no great consequence, as the uses and qualities of both kinds 

 seem to be nearly the same, and to be excellently described by 



Rumphius. 



Bala, p. 17. fig. 12—14. 



This is usually quoted as the Musa paradisiaca ; and when 

 Linnaeus wrote the Flora Zeylanica, he knew no other species. 

 No plant having had more care bestowed on its cultivation, a 

 vast number of varieties have been reared, and are continued by 

 being raised from offsets taken from the root. In one of these 

 varieties, the Schundila Canim Bala of the Hortus Malabaricus 

 (p. 20), the male spathes fall off as the fruit ripens, leaving the 

 whole spadix, that remains, covered with fruit. The same hap- 

 pens in a great many other varieties, especially such as are most 

 fitted for eating without the preparations of cookery, and was 

 supposed by Linnaeus to afford room for a specific distinction, on 

 which he founded the Musa sapient um ; and subsequent authors 

 have increased the number by adding the Musa maculata, and 

 Musa rosacea, mentioned by Willdenow. The author of the Ency- 

 clopedic (Suppl. i. 569.) judged wisely in rejecting these as spe- 

 cies, and, in my opinion, should have followed the same course 

 with the Musa sapientum of Linnaeus, none of the varieties of 

 which differ more from the varieties of Musa paradisiaca than a 

 codling apple does from a pepin. Dr. Roxburgh was finally of 

 the same opinion with me ; for although he described a Musa 

 sapient urn and a Musa paradisiaca, yet he acknowledges (Hort. 



Beng, 



