400 THE PLANTAIN AND BANANA TREES. 



produced, which, counteracting our more violent 

 passions, leads us back to our sober reason, and 

 to reflection. 



Among the splendid, varied, and profuse vege- 

 tation, with which tropical countries abound in 

 so infinite a degree, the magnificent, herbaceous 

 plant, the Plantain tree, usually attracts parti- 

 cular notice ; and, together with the cocoa and 

 other palms, are the productions of the vege- 

 table kingdom which adorn the picture of 

 the artist, when depicting the scenery of the 

 tropics. The broad leaves overhang grace- 

 fully the succulent and huge stem of this plant ; 

 whilst, just at their bases, huge clusters of fruit, 

 of yellow, red, and other colours, contrast har- 

 moniously with the shining, dark-green foliage. 



The size this splendid plant usually attains is 

 eight feet ; but I have seen them at tlie elevation 

 of twelve, and even fifteen feet, with a diameter 

 of stalk from one foot to two feet. The stem is 

 formed partly from the united petioles of the 

 leaves ; and they are said to contain such a 

 quantity of spiral vessels, that they are capable of 

 being pulled out by handfuls, and are actually 

 collected, in the West Indies, and sold as tinder: 

 or, according to the quotation from " Decan- 

 dolle's Organographie Vegetale," tom. i. p. 38, 

 '' the top of the Plantain tree appears to be com- 



