Naturalisation in Extra-Tropical Countries. 319 



Musa paradisiaca, Linne.* (M. sapientum, Linne.) 



The ordinary Plantain or Pisang and the Banana. Continental and 

 Insular India. Among the most prolific of plants, requiring the least 

 care in climes adapted for its growth. Stem not spotted. Bracts purple 

 inside. In this as well as M. Cavendishii and M. simiarum, new shoots 

 are produced from the root, to replace annually the fruit-bearing stem. 

 The fruit of this is often prepared by some cooking process. Very 

 many varieties are distinguished, and they seem to have sprung from 

 the wild state of M. sapientum. The writer did not wish to pass this and 

 the allied plants unnoticed, as they will endure the clime in warmer 

 localities of the temperate zone, where under careful attention 

 they are likely to mature their fruit with regularity. They require 

 rich and humid soil. All kinds demand when in continued culture 

 heavy manuring, to come to the best development. Plantain-meal 

 is prepared by simply reducing the dried pulp to powder ; it is 

 palatable, digestible and nourishing. Boiled bananas constitute 

 quite a good dish, serving as a substitute for potatoes. M. sapien- 

 tum, L., the ordinary Banana or Sweet Plantain is a variety. In 

 Java the Pisang-variety is grown up to 4,000 feet elevation [Dr. 

 Treub]. It is one of the most important plants among those yield- 

 ing nutritious delicious fruits. The stem is. spotted ; bracts green 

 inside. The leaves and particularly the stalks and the stems of 

 this and other species of Musa can be utilised for producing a fibre 

 similar to Manilla-hemp, though not so strong. The fruit of this 

 species is used chiefly unprepared ; it is generally of a yellow 

 colour. Numerous varieties are distinguished. Under favorable 

 circumstances as much as a hundredweight of fruit is obtained 

 from a plant annually in tropical climes. At Caraccas, where the 

 temperature is seldom much above or below 70 F., the plantain- 

 and banana-plants are very productive, being loaded with fruits 

 12 to 15 inches long, on mountains up to 5,000 feet. In the dry 

 Murray -regions of South-Eastern Australia the winter-temperature 

 seems too low for the successful development of the plants except 

 on sheltered spots ; but bananas will ripen under the shelter of 

 limestone-cliffs as far south as Swan-River in West-Australia. 

 Just able to exist as far south as Port Phillip in the open air, 

 therefore to some extent there still available for decorative garden- 

 ing, but not maturing any fruit. The plant matures its fruit 

 yet in the Canary-Islands. The fibre of any kind of Musa can 

 be turned to some account, though the value is various. The 

 banana requires infinitely less care within its geographic latitudes 

 than the potato ; contains along with much starch amply protein- 

 compounds. The preparation of starch from bananas is lucrative, 

 as the yield is copious. Many Indian populations live very exten- 

 sively or almost exclusively on this fruit. In hot countries the 

 tall Musa s are sometimes reared as nurse-plants. Jamaica alone 

 exported during 1885 bananas to the value of 130,000, this culture 

 still increasing there [Dr. Masters]. The import merely from Fiji 

 into Port Jackson has been 30-40,000 bunches in a fortnight [M. 



