1038 



MUSA 



turo in the tropical forests of the Old World, where 

 alone it ia native. Characterized by the elliptical pin- 

 nately-parallel-veined Ivs. with the sheathing petioles 

 forming u false stem-like structure: lis. unisexual, in 

 clusters, each cluster subtended by a large, colored bract, 

 and all arranged in a dense terminal panicle borne on a 

 stalk rising through the center of the false stem; peri- 

 anth of 6 parts, 5 of which are united in 1 piece, desig- 

 nated below for convenience as calyx, and 1 free, here 

 termed the petal ; perfect stamens 5 : ovary inferior, 

 3-celIed, many-seided : fr. large, more or less elongated, 

 indeliismit. pulpy "i- dry. Plants of great importance 

 in the tiopir^, wIm r.- I]\<: t'ruit is used for food. Bananas 

 are iinp'irti -I inii) ilii' U. S. in great quantities from 

 Cuba an. I ( riiM;il AiniTica, and are also grown in the 

 Gulf .sUilLs i.sLU! liamnm). Several species are grown 

 extensively iu the North solely for decorative purposes. 

 Latest monograph of the genus by Baker, Annals of 

 Botany 7:205 U893). K. M.Wieqand.' 



The principal species grown for its fiber is 3[usa tex- 

 tilis. Its cultivation is confined almost entirely to the 

 Philippine Islands, where it is grown in immense dense 

 groves. The product of this fiber Banana is known in 

 commerce as Manila hemp. This species is a very tall- 

 growing one, reaching a height of 20 or more feet. It 

 produces an inedible fruit filled with seeds, from which 

 it is readily propagated. It is little known in this 

 country. 



As decorative |.lnii, in iMnlsrapo gardening few sub- 



jectsequal til ..r Bananas. Theiramense 



leaves arohitiL' ' i i i rnm the top of the "stalk," 



which is in nail) , i i n - I Inng leaf-stems so closely 



united as In iMim. mm- |n:irih-al purposes, a real stem, 

 give an ilTrri, .rC iid|nr;,l Inxiiriance. As they are of 

 really na>y umwih. tin ii- I nltivation in temperate cli- 

 raati-'s i< .in 111.' iii.ii a~.>. 'I'lic smaller species, some of 

 them \\\\\< ni.iii I. .1 ..!■ \ arifgalud foliage, are most useful 

 for 111 -Mm mil |..' I ~ .111 a small scale. 



"^'.iiiii .1 II I..' obtained from nursery or florist 



firm, I , . . Ml- early summer and kept growing 



in pnu HI I In .. Ill . r\ atory or house until settled warm 

 weather ]iermits open-air planting. They should then be 

 given considerable space in a well-enriched bed, having 

 a situation sheltered from the prevailing winds and 

 where water can be applied during dry weather. The 

 Banana is impatient of shade, doing its best in strong 

 sunshine. Heavy winds tear the large leaves, and hence 

 a sheltered location is best for preserving the beauty of 

 the foliage. By autumn the plant will be large, and if 

 desired to carry it on to fruiting, it should be carefully 

 lifted into good soil in a large tub for growth under glass 

 during winter. By the following summer it should be of 

 sufficient age and size to bloom and fruit in the open 

 ground. The plants may be stored in a light, frost-proof 

 cellar during the winter, but by this means the foliage 

 will be lost and the plant suffer a severe check. When 

 it is desired merely to have their foliage for ornamental 



.stored in dry sand through the winter. In the spring 

 these will throw up shoots, if given heat and moisture 

 in the greenhouse or hotbed. e. N. Reasoner. 



Basjoo, 3. 

 Oavendishii, 

 Ohampa. 4. 

 Chinenais, 1. 



seminifera, 6. 

 Sinensis, 1, 

 Sumatrana, 7. 

 Troglodytanim,4. 



iponica, 3. sapieutum, 4. 



\. Fruit edible, seedless {except rarely 



Noa. Sand 4): petal ovate, entire. 



B. Lvs. SS ft. long: plant dwarf, 



4-6 ft. high; fr. 6-angled: fls. 



1 in. long I . Cavendishii 



BB. Lvs. 5-9 ft. long: plant taller, 

 8-30 ft..- fr. 'S-5-angled: fls. 

 VA-2 in. long. 

 o. Foliage very glauconn hrmiitli. 



firm: fls. rose-red 2. Martini 



JIUSA 



cc. Foliage green on both sides 

 [except one var. of .iVo. 4), 

 thin: fls. yellowish white, 

 except in two forms of J\'o. 4. 

 D. Fls. S in. long; bracts ob- 

 long, brownish : petal 

 equaling the calyx: male 



fls. persistent 3. BasjOO 



Ml. Fls. 1% in. long; petal half 

 the length of calyx: bracts 

 lanceolate: male fls. de- 

 ciduous 4. sapientum 



V. Fr. mil cdihlr: pulp scanli/ or none. 

 B. PInnt ttill (SO-40 ft.), not stoton- 

 ifcroHs: pttal S-tuothed: false- 

 stem bottle-shaped: fr. very 



scKdy 5. Enaete 



Bu. Plant low (iStt.), stoloni'erous: 

 pita I linear {ovate in No. 6), 

 iiilire: false stem cylindrical, 

 c. Fls. about 12 to a bract; petal 



ovate (i. seminifera 



cc. Fls. only about S-4 to a brad; 

 petal linear. 

 D. Lvs. large, 5-6 ft. long: fr. 



with stipe %-l in. long. . . 7. Sumatrana 

 DD. Lvs. smaller, S-4 ft. long; 

 fr. nearly sessile. 



E. Bracts bright red 8. coccinea 



9. sanguinea 

 EE. Brads pale blue or red- 

 dish lilac 10. 



1. C&vendishii, Lamb. {M. Sinensis, Sagot. M. Chi- 

 nhisis. Sweet). Chinese Dwarf Banana. Dwarf 

 Jamaica. Stoloniferous : whole plant 4-7 ft. high : false 

 stem cylindrical, 3^ in. in diam. : lvs. conspicuously 

 spreading, oblong, 2-3 ft. by 1 ft. ; petioles short and 

 stout; blade when young spotted and blotched with red, 

 in age rather glaucous: panicle drooping: bracts ovate, 

 dark reddish brown : male fls. persistent; calyx yellow- 

 ish white; petal one-half as long: paniclevery large, the 

 fruits 200-250, small, 4-5 in. by IK in. or more, yellow, 

 slightly curved, broad, obtuse, narrowed to the sessile 

 base; skin thick, flesh delicate and fragrant. Southern 

 China. Int. from Mauritius in 1829. Gn. .32, p. 243; 40, 

 p. 203; 44, p. 490; 50. p. 101. G. C. III. 22: 107. -Stands 

 more cold than most Bananas, and its dwarf growth 

 readily allows of protection. Good for planting in tho 

 North ; good, also, for shipping. ■ Grown extensively 

 along the coast of the southern states and in the West 



2. H&rtini, Hort. Similar in habit to M. sapientum: 

 lvs. oblong, long-petioled, quite thick and not easily 

 broken by the wind ; veins and stem commonly reddish : 

 fruit rather small, yellowish. Int. from the Canary Isls. 

 R.B. 18, p. 107.— A foliage plant good for exposed places. 



3. Easjoft, Sieb. & Zucc. {3f. JapSnica, Hort.). Japa- 

 nese Banana. Stoloniferous: whole plant 12-18 ft. 

 high: false stem cylindrical, 0-8 in. in diam. : lvs. ob- 

 long, thin, 0-9 ft. by lK-2 ft.; petiole about 1 ft. long: 

 peduncle 1 ft. long: panicle dense, nodding: bracts dull 

 brown: petal nearly equaling the calyx: fr. 30-00, ob- 

 long, pointed, 3 in. long, gradually narrowed to a sessile 

 base, usually containing a few seeds. Liu-Kiu archi- 

 pelago, cult, in Japan. B.M. 7182. R.B. 22, p. 1.52. 

 R.H. 1890, p. 203. Gn. 55, p. 3. — Decorative; valuable 

 because of its resistance to cold; may be planted at the 

 North. 



4. Bapifintum.Linn. Common Banana. Figs. 187, 188. 

 Stoloniferous: plant 20-30 ft.high: false stem cylindrical, 

 4-0 in. in diam. : lvs. oblong, thin, bright green, 4-7 ft. by 

 l>^-2 ft.; petiole slender, 1-1 K ft. long: panicle often 

 4-5 ft. long: bracts ovate-lanceolate: fls. IK in. long: 

 fr. in the typical form, 3-4 in. by lK-2 in., forming 3-4 

 bundles of about 12 . a.h. n.uiKled above, narrowed to a 

 sessile base, brit'lii m Il.iw: il. sh good, seedless. Na- 

 tive in India aad K. In.lian NK. -Widely cult, through- 

 out the tropics for the ex.-ell.iit fruit, and also more 

 rarely for the fiber, which is interior to that of M. tez- 

 lilis. Most of the commercial Bananas are obtained 

 from the numerous varieties of this species. The Ori- 



