276 THE BANANA 



55. M. proboscidea Oliver. Trunk 4-5 times as high 

 as a man. Leaves very large. Inflorescence finally 

 drooping, nearly as long as the trunk. Free petal very 

 short, with two orbicular outer lobes and a large linear 

 central cusp. Seeds J in. long and broad. Hills of 

 Ukami, 100 miles inland from Zanzibar, German East 

 Africa. 



56. M. superba Roxb. Whole plant reaching a height 

 of 10-12 ft. Trunk 7-8 ft. in circumference at the base, 

 narrowed to 3 ft. below the leaves. Leaves 5 ft. long. 

 Inflorescence at first globose, a foot in diameter, finally 

 drooping, a third the length of the trunk ; bracts orbicular, 

 dull claret -brown, attaining a foot in length and breadth 

 Perianth 1 in. long, whitish, formed of three loosely coher- 

 ing segments. Free petal short, three-cuspidate, with a 

 long linear, central cusp. Fruit 3 in. long. Seeds very 

 numerous, J-J in. in diameter, brown. Western Ghauts 

 of the Bombay Peninsula. Yields a poor fibre. 



57. M. Schweinfurthii K. Schum. and Warb. Trunk 

 not very inflated at base. Leaves 7 to 8 ft. long, 15 in. 

 broad. Inflorescence drooping. Bracts ovate-lanceolate, 

 about 1 ft. long by 3j in. broad. Perianth to 2 in. long, 

 entire, not cuspidate ; free petal entire. Seeds small, 

 somewhat globular. Niam-Niam, Central Africa. 



58. M. Chevalierii Gagnep. (Bull. Soc. hot. France, 

 Iv. 87, 1908). Plant 13 ft. high. Trunk Ij ft. at base, 

 leafy throughout. Leaves 6 ft. long, 12-16 in. broad, 

 stalk purplish at base, narrowed in middle, pruinose- 

 glaucous outside. Inflorescence drooping, with very 

 crowded fruit, remainder of stalk with male flowers. 

 Bracts ovate-lanceolate, 16-5 in. long by 8-1 \ in. broad 

 Perianth 1 J in. long, three-toothed, teeth semi-orbicular ; 

 free petal half as long, two-toothed, teeth obtuse. Fruit 

 club-shaped, green with white dots and yellowish pulp, 

 Seeds about thirty, black. Oubangi and Chari, tropical 

 Africa. Near M. Schweinfurthii. 



59. M. elephantorum K. Schum. and Warb. Trunk 

 24 ft. long, leafy from base upwards. Leaves 7-9 ft. long 



