Two new species of American wild bananas with a revision of 
the generic name 
RoBeERT F. Griccs 
At the time of publication of a former paper * I was not aware 
that antedating Linnaeus’s application of the name He/iconia, to 
the plant called by the Indians “ Azhai,’ is a description of the 
same plant under the name of Bzkai by Adanson (Fam. Pl. 2: 
67. 1763). This necessitates the use of that name instead of 
Heliconia. It will be a matter of some pleasure to those whose 
sense of justice is gratified when they see the name given by the 
original describer of a plant retained, that Bzkaz, which was mani- 
festly a generic name as first applied by Plumier, though not used 
binomially in the technical sense, can now be restored. Otto 
Kuntze, in his Revisio Generum Plantarum (2: 684. 1891), used 
Plumier’s name with an a suffixed, probably to latinize it more 
perfectly ; and applied it to all the species he knew. There were, 
however, several species which he overlooked, and it seems proper 
that these, together with a number of others described since his 
paper was published, should here be transferred from He/iconia to 
the older genus as follows: Bihai aurantiaca (Ghiesb.), Bihai 
Bihai (L.), Bihai borinquena (Griggs), Bihai Burchellii (Baker), 
Bihai Champneiana (Griggs), Bihai choconiana (Watson), Bihai 
Collinsiana (Griggs), Bihai crassa (Griggs), Bihai distans 
(Griggs), Bihai elongata (Griggs), Bihai episcopalis (Vell.), 
Bihai humilis (Jacq.), Bihai latispatha (Benth.), Bihai librata 
(Griggs), Bihai lingulata (Ruiz & Pavon), Bihai platystachys 
(Baker), Bihai purpurea (Griggs), Bihai rostrata (Ruiz & Pavon), 
Bihai rutila (Griggs), Bihai spissa (Griggs), Bihai tortuosa 
(Griggs). Each of these was originally described, with the same 
specific name, under e/iconia, by the author cited in parentheses. 
The two species of Bifai described below were discovered by 
Messrs. Cook, Collins and Doyle of the United States Department 
*On some species of Heliconia. Bull. Torrey Club, 30: 641-664. December, 
1903. 
445 
