SCITAMINEJ1. 



325 



ones (, so that fruits are only found in the lower region of the 

 inflorescence, the remaining portion persisting as a naked axis 

 after the floral-leaves and flowers have fallen off ; the inflorescence 

 terminates in an ovoid bud formed by the flowers which have not 

 yet opened (Fig. 314, the left-hand figure). The perianth-leaves 

 are united (except the posterior one). The fruit (known as 

 a " Banana ") is a berry, having the form of a smooth, short, three- 

 cornered Cucumber (as much as 30 cm. in length) ; inside the 

 tough skin is found a farinaceous, aromatic pulp. No seed is 

 developed in the cultivated species. Several i)/?tsa-species are culti- 

 vated in the Tropics for the sake of the fruit (M. paradisiaca, M. 

 sapientum) ; for the fibrovascular bundles, M. textilis (Manilla Hemp). Their 

 home is, no doubt, the Tropics of the Old World ; they were introduced into 

 America before the arrival of Europeans. Musa ensete has dry, leathery fruits ; 

 an ornamental plant. 



In Musa the barren, posterior stamen belongs to the inner whorl ; and also in 

 Strelitzia and Ravenala ; the latter may have all 6 stamens developed. la 

 Heliconia, on the contrary, it belongs to the outer whorl ; in Heliconia the 

 perianth-leaves are differently arranged, and there is only one ovule in each 

 loculus. The three latter genera have dry fruits and leaves arranged in two 

 rows. In the "Travellers' Palm" (Ravenala madagascariensis) the foliage - 

 leaves form an enormous fan. Tropical ; about 50 species. 



The order may be divided as follows: 1. Musese: Musa, 

 Ravenala, Strelitzia in the Old World. 2. Heliconiee : Heliconia in 

 the New World. 



Order 2. Zingiberacese. Perianth most frequently divided 

 into calyx and corolla. Calyx 

 gamosepalous. Only 1 fertile 

 stamen (the posterior, Fig. 315, 

 belonging to the inner whorl) 

 with quadrilocular anther, 

 which encloses the style in a 

 furrow ; the 2 stamens in the 

 outer whorl are staminodes, 

 the median one (the anterior) 

 is wanting. The 2 lateral 

 staminodes of the inner whorl 

 form the " labellum " (Fig. 

 315 lab), which usually is the 

 largest segment of the flower, 

 and is often bilobed. Ovules 

 many. The fruit in some is 

 a leathery, 3-valved capsule, 



FIG. 315. Diagram of a Zingiberaceou* 

 flower (Kampferia ovalifolia): b bract; v brac- 

 teole; fc calyx; p 1 , p 2 , p 3 the petals; sst, 

 lateral staminodes ("wings"); lab labellum 

 (formed of two staminodes); st the fertile 

 stamen; * position of suppressed stamen. 

 The ovary is in the centre of the diagram. 



