706 JOURNAL, U 0MB AY NATURAL HLST. fiOClETY, Vol, XXI. 



No. L.— SECOND. YEAR'S GROWTH OF A PLANTAIN 

 INFLORESCENCE. 



The accompanying photograph is of a specimen of the wild plantain, 

 Musa suj^erba, at present in the garden of the bungalow, 3, Ganeshkhind 

 Road, Poona. The plant in question was put in the ground as a sucker 

 in 1908. In the rains of 1910 it produced its inflorescence and formed 

 several small fruits. Then it remained dormant until the rains of 1911 

 when the inflorescence again started into growth and has not yet ceased 

 to grow. No leaves, however, were produced this year, all growth being 

 in the inflorescence. The bracts which have been formed this year 

 contained, as far as I have observed, only staminate flowers with rudi- 

 mentary ovaries — the normal condition of flowers at the tip of the flowering 

 shoot of the plantain. 



< Plantain inflorescence (Burns). 



The measurements of the plant are as follows: — Diameter of stump, 40 

 cm. Height of stump, 55 cm. Length between top of stump and bunch of 



