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PLANTAIN. MUSA I^ARADISIACA. 



Natural order, Scitamenca. A genus of the Polygamia 

 Monacia class. 



" The plantain wide his graceful foliage spreads ; 

 Where giant palms lift high their tufted heads." 



THIS tree received its generic name in memory of An- 

 tonius Musa, the freedman and physician of Augustus, 

 who, for curing his imperial master of a dangerous dis- 

 ease by the use of the cold bath, was honoured by the 

 senate with a brazen statue, placed near that of ^scula- 

 pius. Antonius was a botanist, and is supposed to be the 

 author of the treatise De Herha Botanicd. 



The plantain is a native of Guinea, whence it was 

 brought to the Canary Islands ; and thence it was after- 

 wards carried to the West Indies ; where it is now culti- 

 vated with much care in all the islands, the fruit being 

 regarded as one of the greatest blessings bestowed upon 

 the inhabitants of that climate. Dr. Wright says, the 

 island of Jamaica would scarcely be habitable without 

 this fruit, as no species of provision could supply its 

 place : even flour, or wheaten bread itself, would be less 

 agreeable, and less adapted to support the laborious 

 negro, so as to enable him to perform his business, or to 

 keep up his health. 



Dam pier calls it the king of all fruit, not excepting the 

 cocoa itself. 



The fruit of the plantain-tree is about a foot long, and 



