MUSACEAE. 89 



about 6' thick; its spreading leaves are 2°-4° long and 1° wide or more; the 

 monoecious flowers are in terminal, large-bracted, drooping panicles, the p'istil- 

 late ones borne nearest the leaves, the staminate beyond the pistillate there- 

 fore below them in the drooping clusters; the ovate, reddish-brown bracts 

 conceal the young flowers; the numerous yellow fruits are 4-5' long, the fra- 

 grant fles'h delicious. 



Musa sapientum L., Yellow Banana, East Indian, cultivated in several 

 races, but not as extensively as the preceding, is taller, with larger and longer 

 leaves, up to 9° long, the usually fewer, bright yellow fruits mostly larger. 



Musa paradisiaca L., Plantain Banana, sometimes regarded as a race 

 or variety of M. sapientum, is occasionally grown, but does not ordinarily fruit 

 heavily in Bermuda. It is tall, with large yellow fruits up to 10'-14' long, 

 which are insipid when raw but excellent when cooked, and a very important 

 food-fruit in tropical regions. 



Musa rubra Fleming, Eed Banana, tall, with arching leaves and dark red 

 fruit 6'-9' long, is also sometimes considered to be a race or variety of M. 

 sapientum, and is occasionally grown. 



Ravenala madagascarensis J. F. Gmelin, Travelers' Tree, Madagascan, 

 has a, trunk up to 20° high, the long-petioled, banana-like leaves spreading in 

 one plane, their thick petiole-bases densely imbricated, containing much 

 watery sap which is drinkable; the peduncled axillary flower-clusters are 6'-10' 

 long, the large, bracted flowers white, the fruit capsular, 3-valved. This ele- 

 gant plant, the giant of the Banana Family, is occasionally seen in gardens, 

 but is not as luxuriant as in warmer lands. 



Strelitzia reginae Banks, Bird-of-Paradise Flower, South African, fre- 

 quent in gardens, has leaves 2i°-3° long arising from rootstocks, the petioles 

 longer than the blades; the purple and orange flowers are about 4' long, on 

 scapes as long as the leaves or shorter, subtended by a purplish, pointed bract; 

 the fruit is a 3-valved capsule. The plant is also known as Crane 's-bill. 



Strelitzia angusta Thunb., Large Strelitzia, also South African, occa- 

 sionally grown, forms a trunk up to 15° high bearing leaves 6°-9° long with 

 petioles about twice as long as the blades, the white flowers borne on short, 

 axillary peduncles, and subtended by a dark purple spathe. 



Order 11. ORCHIDALES. 



Monocotyledonous herbs, many tropical species epiphytes. Flowers 

 mostly very irregular, complete and perfect, their parts in 3's or 6's. 

 Ovary inferior, compound. Seeds very numerous and minute, without 

 endosperm. 



Family 1. ORCHIDACEAE Lindl. 

 Orchid Family. 



Perennial herbs, with sheathing entire leaves, sometimes reduced to 

 scales, the flowers perfect, irregular, bracted, solitary, spiked or racemed. 

 Perianth superior, of 6 segments, the 3 outer (sepals) similar or nearly so, 

 2 of the inner ones (petals) lateral, alike; the third inner one (lip) dis- 

 similar, often markedly so, usually larger, often spurred. Stamens vari- 



