THE BANANA. 



The edible Bananas belong to the following species: 



1. Musa paradisiac a Lin. MUSACEAE. 



2. M. Sapientum Lin. 



3. M. chinensis Sweet M. Cavendishi Lambert. 



4. M. Fehi Bert. Native of Tahiti Islands, is 

 easily distinguishable on account of its erect bunch, which 

 is never drooping as in the other species, a feature which 

 is only met with in the banana "Kusaie" of the Hawai 

 Island. (M. sapi^ntum var. troglodytamm). 



5. M. corniculata Rumph. Native of the Malayan 

 Archipelago. 



6. M. simiarum Rumph. Native of Malacca, 

 Sumatra etc. The last three species have not been intro- 

 duced in these Islands, and even in their native country 

 they have no commercial importance. 



The following brief description of the first three 

 species will be useful for the classification of their varieties. 



MUSA PARADISIACA Lin. The 'fig-banana' or 'plantain' 

 or simply 'banana'. French = bananier a gros fruits. The 

 stem is tall, green or light green, rarely blotched purplish 

 black. The leaves are long, and have a long stalk, and the 

 upper surface is always somewhat glaucous. The colour 

 may be green or light green or sometimes reddish (ba- 

 nana Rathkehel), or variegated white as in M. paradisiaca 

 var. vittata. The plant throws up a large number of 

 suckers, which must be thinned severely. To this species 

 belong most sorts the fruit of which requires to be cooked, 

 as well as the best sorts for the extraction of flour or 

 banana meal, and those which are used in the preparation 

 of fermented drinks or liqueurs. However the species 

 includes also a few varieties the. fruit of which is eaten 

 crude and is an excellent dessert fruit. This species 



