272 THE BANANA 



yellow, Ij in. long. Free petal nearly as long as the 

 perianth. Fruit oblong, three-angled, 2 in. long, rather 

 pulpy, pale yellow-green variegated with red. Seeds 

 small, black, tubercled. Assam. 



38. M. assamica (Hort. Bull.). This is an elegant dwarf 

 plant, well suited for table decoration. Trunk about 

 1| ft. high. Leaves about 1 ft. long, crowded, running out 

 into a slender tendril -like point, green with a narrow purple 

 border. Assam. Allied to M. sanguined. 



39. M. Mannii Wendl. Trunk 2 ft. long, 1 in. in 

 diameter. Leaves few, spreading, 2-2 J ft. long. In- 

 florescence erect, \ ft. long. Female flowers in three 

 clusters of three flowers each, their bracts deciduous. 

 Male bracts crowded, pale crimson, 3-4 in. long. Perianth 

 pale yellow, 1 J in. long. Free petal much shorter. Assam. 



40. M. aurantiaca Mann. Habit of M. sanguined, but 

 forming larger clumps of rather shorter stems. Bracts 

 bright orange-yellow, lowest 1 ft. long. Fruit green, 

 glabrous. Upper Assam. 



41. M. velutina Wendl. and Drude. Habit of M. san- 

 guined, but differs from it and from M. aurantiaca by its 

 velvety, bright red fruit. Inflorescence erect, with purple 

 stalk. Flowers yellow, those below densely velvety. 

 Assam. 



42. M. violascens Ridley. Trunk slender, 8-10 ft. high. 

 Inflorescence erect or almost erect. Bracts narrowly 

 lanceolate, white tinged with purple-violet or wholly 

 violet, 9 in. long. Flowers few, in single rows under 

 each bract. Fruit green, 3 in. long by 2 in. wide. Seeds 

 cylindrical. 



43. M. campestris Becc. (Nelle Foreste di Borneo, 622). 

 Leaves more erect than in banana, narrowing very much 

 at base and running into the stalk. Inflorescence erect. 

 Bracts of male flowers oval, acuminate. Male flowers 

 about l in. long, perianth five-toothed, the two exterior 

 lobes cuspidate ; free petal f as long as perianth, with 

 rounded or emarginate apex. Fruit 3-3 J in. long by 

 1 in. broad. 3-4 ribbed, with a short, thick beak. Seeds 



