THE BANANA FAMILY 



165 



'M^- 



"Arrangement of these inner organs clearly shows that self-polli- 

 nation is impossible. 



Other Plants of the Ginger and Arrowroot Family. 



Many plants of this and the allied family Marantacece are 

 useful as food stuffs, spices, and dyes. Arrowroot flour is made 

 from the root-stocks of Maranta arundinacea and of Curcuma 

 angiistifoUa {Kan. Kiive; Tarn. Kiikai). 

 The seeds of Cardamom (Elettaria 

 Cardamonmm ; X^ciw. Elakki; JiaZ.Elam; 

 Hin. Elaci) are used as spices. The 

 root-stock of Turmeric {Curcuma longa; 

 Kan. Arisina; Mai. Maiinal; Tam. 

 Mancal) yields a common dye. 



Garden plants are Costus, Costiis 

 speciosus [Kan. Pushkaramilla; Mai. 

 Cannakkuva; Tam. Koshtam), a most 

 elegant-looking plant, remarkable for 

 its spirally ascending stem and the two 

 white glossy petal-like stamens, beside 

 which the three small red sepals and 

 the three white petals proper sink into 

 insignificance; and the Indian Shot {Canna indica; Kan. Kelahii: 

 Mai. Katuvara; Tam. Puvalai). 



Fig-. 151.— Flower of Costus 

 speciosus. 



38. The Banana Family 



(Musaceae). 



Herbs very much like the Zingiberaceae, 

 differing chiefly in the arrangement of the petals and stamens. 



The Banana or Plantain [Musa paradisiaca). 



(Plate No. 636.) 

 {Kan. Bale. Mai. Vala. Tam. Valai. Tel. Arati. Hin. Keli. San. Kadali.) 



1. Stem and Leaves. -The stem, formed from the sheaths of 

 the leaves, tightly rolled round each other, attains a height of 



