742 CXXVI. SCITA.MINE.T. 



Balier (Fl. B. I. v. 6, p. 263) lias made this a variety of Musa sapicn- 

 itim, to which Eidley objects and considers that it should more properly 

 be made a variety of 31. malacce^isis, Ridley, or of M.sximatrana, Beccari. 

 Musa sapienUini var. zebrina, Bak. in Hook. f. Fl. B. I. v. 6, p. 263 ; 

 Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 521. Maranta zebrina^ 

 Grab. Cat. p. 212. 



Musa cJiinensis, Sweet, Hort. Brit. ed. 2 (1830) p. 596. Whole plant 

 4-6 ft. high ; leaves 6-8 in a dense rosette, spreading, oblong, 2-3 by 

 1 ft. ; petioles short, stout, deeply channelled, with broad crisped green 

 edges. Spike dense, 1-2 ft. long ; bracts red-brown ; male flowers 

 persistent, Fruit 6-angled, 4-5 in. long, yellow, with a thick skin, of 

 inferior flavor until dead ripe, when it is rich. Musa CavendisMi, 

 Lambert, ex Paxt. Mag. Bot. v. 3 (1837) p. 51 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. 

 Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 621, & Gard. in Ind. ed. 5, p. 486 ; K. Sebum, in 

 Engler, Pflauzenreich, v. 4, part 45 (1900) p. 17. A native of S. China, 

 extensively cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries and known 

 as the Chinese or Dwarf Banana. — Vern. Gugi. 



Musa paradisiaca, Linn. Sp. PI. (1753) p. 1043. Stoloniferous ; trunk 

 cylindric, reaching 25 ft. or more, with a diameter of 6 in. Leaves 

 oblong, green, reaching 8 ft. long and 2 ft. broad. Inflorescence 

 pendulous, reaching 4 it. long ; male flowers and bracts subpersistent. 

 Fruit cylindric, up to 12 ia. long, generally yellowish or yellowish-green 

 Avhen ripe, the pulp scarcely sweet, rather firm, not fit to eat without 

 cooking. Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 4, p. 265; K. Schum. in Engler, Pflauzen- 

 reich, V. 4, part 45 (1900) p. 19. Musa paradisiaca var. nonnalis, 

 O. Kuutze, Eevis. Gen. v. 2 (1891) p. 692. Musa Cliffortiana, Linn. 

 Sp. PI. (1753) p. 1043 in syn. M. sapieyiiura var. paradlsiaca. Baker, 

 in Ann. Bot. v. 7 (1893) p. 213, & in Hook. f. Fl. B. I. v. 6, p. 262 ; 

 Woodr. in Journ. Bomb, Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 521 ; Prain, Beng, PI, 

 p. 1050 ; Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 5, p. 292. 



The well-known Flantaui or Banana, usually known by the former name in India, 

 many varieties of which are cultivated for their fruit throughout the tropics. Its 

 native country is uncertain, but it is probably of Asiatic origin. I have followed 

 O. Kuntze and K. Schumann in making M. paradhiaca, Linn., the type and M. sapicn- 

 tum, Linn., the subspecies or variety. Mr. Baker (Ann. Bot. 1. c.) has made M. sapien- 

 Inin the type and M. paraclisiaca a subspecies, but he has done so apparently under 

 the naistaken notion that the names of both plants occurred fur the first time in 

 Linna;us's Sp. PI. ed. 2 (17t)'5) p. 1477, wlicre tiiey appear together. As a matter of 

 fact, however, Musa paradmaca appears for the first time in Linna^us's first edition 

 (1753) on page 1043, in which M. sapientum docs not occur at all, while Musa. sapien- 

 tum appears for the first time in Linn. Syst. ed. 10 (17;")!)) p. 1303, where M. para- 

 disiaca occurs above it. As M. paradisiaca has (> years' priority to M. sapientum, 

 there can be no question that to make it a subspecies of the latter would, unless some 

 very cogent reason could be assigned, be somewhat anomalous. 



Subspecies sapientum, K. Schum. iu Engler, Pflanzenreich, v. 4, part 45 

 (1900) p. 20. Male flowers and bracts deciduous ; fruit oblong, usually 

 3-gonous, yellow or reddisli when ripe, the pulp sweet and edible without 

 cooking. Musa paradisiaca var. sapientum, O, Kuntze, Eevis, Gen, 

 V. 2, p, 692, M. sapientum (sp.), Linn. Syst. ed. 10 (1759) p. 1303; 

 Baker, in Hook. f. Fl, B, I, v. 6, p. 262; Grab, Cat, p, 212; Dalz, & 

 Gibs, Suppl. p, 88 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 521 ; 

 Prain, Beng. PI. p. 1050; AVatt, Diet. Ecou. Prod. v. 5, p. 290.— Vehn. 

 A'ela. 



