266 HcemodoracecF. \pphiopogon.. 



By rocky steep screams in the moist region, 1-3000 ft.; common. 

 Fl. 



Also in E. Himalaya and Malaya. 



Fruit eaten in times of famine. 



Linntcus's two species, M. paradisiaca and M. saptefifum, ha\e no 

 distinguishing botanical characters ; both refer to cultivated plants. I 

 use the former, as being the one to which he refers all the Ceylon and 

 Indian synon\my, though J/, sapienfmn seems generally preferred by 

 modern botanists. We have but one wild species, and it may well be 

 the origin of the numerous seedless forms in cultivation, distinguished 

 by difJerences in shape and colour of their fruit. Hermann gives the 

 names of 13 kinds grown in his time, and Moon records no less than 50, 

 of which 5 are considered to be wild by him. The distinction between 

 ' Plantains ' and ' Bananas ' is not made in Ceylon, and the latter word 

 is not used here. Baker (Ann. Bott. vii. 215), following Moon, refers the 

 wild Ceylon plant to HI. troglodytartciii, L., but I have seen nothing here 

 with an erect inflorescence. — Trimen. 



In the W. Indies and elsewhere, the name Plantain is used to 

 designate the larger, coarser fruits used for cooking, that of Banana for 

 the sweet sorts. Mr. Morris informs me that the plants of each are 

 always distinguishable by the bracts of the male fls., those of the Banana 

 being deciduous, those of the Plantain being persistent ; as well shown 

 in Ehret, I.e. PI. Sel. tt. 18-20 and tt. 21-23. See also Kew Bullet. 

 1894, p. 254.— J. D. H. 



CXXVIII.— H/EMODORACEyE. 



Perennial herbs, with a short rootstock and fibrous roots;. 

 1. radical, often distichotis, nerves parallel ; fl. bisexual, in 

 terminal sjjikes or racemes ; perianth corolline, inferior or 

 superior, lobes 6, biseriatc, imbricate or induplicate valvate ; 

 stam. 6, opposite the perianth-lobes, anth. erect or versatile; 

 ov. 3-celled, cells 1-2-ovuled, ovules anatropous, style 

 columnar, stigma simple or 3-toothed ; fr. superior or inferior, . 

 bursting irrcgularl)-, pericarp coriaceous ; seeds globose, 

 endosperm fleshy, embryo terete. 



The above ordinal character applies to the tribe Ophiopogonea- only. 



Perianth superior i. OPHlol'OtiOX. 



Perianth inferior 2. S.\Nskvii-:ri.\. 



I. OPKIOPOCON, Ker. 

 Scapigerous herbs, stem short ; 1. linear, distichous, strongly 

 nerved, base sheathing; fl. racemose on an angular scape; 

 bracts scarious ; perianth superior, tube adnate to the sides of 

 the ov., not produced above it, segments 6, biseriate, ovate, 

 spreading; stam. 6, inserted on the bases of the per. segments, 

 fil. short, erect, anth. basifixed ; ov. turbinate, crown flat, 

 3-cellcd, cells 2-o\ulcd, st\-le columnar, stigma acute or 



