THE BOTANY OF BERMUDA. Ill 



C. cdulia, Ker. Tous-les-mois. 



Cultivated to a small extent for the market on St. George's and Da- 

 vid's islands; formerly more extensiv^ely grown. 



Maranta anoidinacea, Linn. Arrowroot. 



Introduced toward the end of the last century. The exports, which 

 reached 90 tons in 184J:, now rarely amount to one-fourth of that quan- 

 tity simply because other crops are found less exhausting to the soil, 

 and more remunerative. Bermuda arrowroot, however, is still unrivaled 

 in quality. From 15 to 20 lbs. of the starch are made from 100 lbs. of 

 the root. 



II.— ZiNZIBEBACEuE. 



Zingiber officinale^ Rose. Ginger. 



Was easily raised at Mount Langtou from West Indian roots. 



Alpinia nutans, Eosc. Shell plant ; Ginger. 



Naturalized and common in plantations. (Renealuda occidentaUs, 

 Gr.) Native of the West Indies and Central America. 



Hedychium speciosum f Wall. 



From Madeira. Flowered at Mount Langton; originally from the 



East Indies. 



III. — MUSACE^. 



Musa paradisiaca, Linn. Plantain. 



Not much grown in Bermuda. " Plautanes" are mentioned as early 

 as 1()21, and were probably among the first vegetable importations from 

 the West Indies. 



M. sapientum, Linn. Banana. 



There are four well-marked varieties of banana produced in Bermuda, 

 where it in extensively cultivated. 



(1.) The red banana {M. var. rosacea', Jacq.), which is scarce. Owing 

 to the i)revalence of high winds, it can only be grown in well-sheltered 

 places, and is about twice as long as any other species in producing 

 fruit. 



(2.) The "old Bermuda banana," a tall-growing variety, of very fine 

 quality ; now rarely met with. 



(3.) The "thumb banana," which is by far the best, although very small, 

 from its subacid flavor and dryness of substance. 



(4.) The "dwarf banana" {M. Cavendishii, Paxton,) which is the variety 

 commonly cultivated, and occasionally produces bunches of 80 lbs. 



