PLANTAIN. 227 



the second a coloured membrane, which is the 

 spice called mace ; and the third a shell, contain- 

 ing within it the nutmeg, which is the seed of the 

 plant. In India, the nutmeg-fruit, preserved en- 

 tire, is introduced with tea, but the pulp and 

 mace only are eaten. 



The plants of the twenty-third class, POLYGAMIA 

 [PLATE 2. fig. 23.], bear flowers of three different 

 kinds : 1 . with stamens only ; 2. with pistils 

 only; 3. w ith both and these grow either. on 

 the same plant, on two distinct plants, or on three* 

 But as very few plants have these characters, several 

 good botanists think this class unnecessary. The 

 only species belonging to it, that I recollect, are the 

 Plantain-tree, the Sensitive-plant, and the Fig. 



The fruit of the Plan tain- tree, Mu'saparadisi'aca, 

 is one of the greatest blessings the inhabitants of 

 hot climates enjoy. It is cultivated in all the 

 West Indian islands ; where the plantains serve the 

 negroes instead of bread. The tree rises, with a 

 soft stalk, to the height of fifteen or twenty 

 feet; and the leaves, which are often eight feet 

 long, come out from the top on every side. The 

 fruit, or plantain, is about a foot long, and from 

 three to six inches round; it has a tough skin ; and, 

 within, a soft pulp of a very sweet flavour, which 

 js roasted and eaten. Every part of the tree is 

 applied to some useful purpose in the West Indies. 



The Sensitive-plant, Mimo'sa pudi'ca, which 

 Q 2 



