436 



MUSA 



base of the infl. The sepals and two ant. petals are joined into a 

 tube, the post, petal is free; there are 5 fertile sta., except in M. 

 Ensete J. F. Gmel. where the post. sta. is also fertile; the ovary 

 is 3-loc., with oo anatr. ovules. Fr. a longish berry. Seeds with 

 mealy perisperm. M. paradisiaca L. , the plantain, with its subsp. 

 M. sapientnm L., the banana, is one of the most important food- 

 plants, and is everywhere cult, in the trop. and subtrop., yielding 

 much more food per acre than even the potato. The cult, forms are 



A. 



C. 



D. 



E. 

 F. 



Banana (Musa paradisiaca, subsp. sapientuni) in fruit ; the fruits are seen on 

 the lower portion of the peduncle, the upper which bore male flowers is bare, at 

 the extreme end a few spathes remain ; much reduced. B. Single spathe with 

 a large number of flowers crowded in its axil, reduced. 



Male flower of M. Ensete. The posterior median petal is on the right the re- 

 maining hve perianth-leaves are represented by the larger strap-shaped trifid 

 limb on the left ; the lateral members of the inner whorl are not represented in 

 the incision of the limb. 



Upper portion of perianth-limb of M. Cavendiskii shewing five lobes the two 

 smaller representing the lateral members of the inner whorl. 



loral diagram of a bisexual flower of Musa. 



Floral diagram of Heliconia nietallica. 



A, after Redoute'. B, C, from Botanical Magazine. D, after K. Schumann 



E, F, after Eichler. 



