130 MR. MOOBE ON SOME SUPRASORIFEBOUS EERNS. 



close to the midrib, and considerably more numerous on the upper 

 than on the under surface. These surface-sori, in aU the instances 

 examined, proved to be furnished with the usual involucre beneath 

 the spore-cases, but were apparently without any pedicel (the latter 

 being, however, very short in the marginal sori of this plant), so 

 that they were similar in character to those of Woodsia and Hy- 

 poderris, or as to position to those of the true (net-veined) Aspi- 

 dmms, being placed directly on the network of veins. 



The inferences which may, I think, be drawn from these in- 

 stances of anomalous structure, are, (1) that the veins are im- 

 portant structures in the economy of fern development, since they 

 thus appear capable of originating the receptacle and spore-cases 

 from their surface in any part — even in unusual parts — of the 

 frond ; and (2) that sufficient importance seems thus to attach to 

 them, to justify their employment for the purpose of assisting in 

 the definition of genera, in a family of plants where something 

 more than the so-called fructification itself is confessedly needed 

 to supply distinctive characters. 



Description of a remarkable spike or bunch of Emits of the Tig 

 Banana (Musa sapientvm), var. By Sir Egbert H. Schom- 

 BUBaK. Communicated by Geobge Bentham, Esq., E.L.S. 



[Eead June 2nd, 1857.] 



A VARIETY of the Banana is called here (that is to say in the 

 Island of Saint Domingo) Gruineo, and known in some of the 

 English "West India Islands as the Fig Banana. There is no out- 

 ward mark of difference between a common Banana tree and that 

 of the Guineo : the fruit of the latter is, however, much smaller, 

 rounder, somewhat pointed on the opposite end, not unlike a fig, 

 and of a much sweeter and far more delicious taste than the 

 large Banana, resembling not only in odour, but likewise in taste, 

 our apples, from which circumstance it has been called Guineo- 

 Manzana or Apple Guineo, to distinguish it from the Martinica- 

 Manzana or Martinique Apple Banana. The latter are the fruits 

 of the so-caUed Chinese Dwarf Plantain {Musa chinensis of Siveet, 

 which Paxton has re-christened Musa Cavendishii) . This species 

 was introduced into Santo Domingo from Martinique. The stem 

 seldom reaches a height beyond 8 feet, and the racemes or branches 

 of fruits are of such a size, that they touch the ground, containing 



