PLATE XLVII. 



M U S A C O C C I N E A. 



Scarlet flowered Plantain-tree. 



CLASS XXIII. 

 POLYGAMIA MONOECIA. Vai 



GENERIC CH 

 Hermaphroditi feminei flares. 



Calyx. Spatha partialis ovato-oblonga, plano- 



concava, magna. 

 Cokolla inaequalis, ringens; petalo conftitu- 



ente labium fuperius, necfario vero labium 



inferius. 



Petalum ereftum, ligulatum, quinqueden- 



tatum, ball antice connivens. 



Neclarium monophyllum, naviculare, petalo, 



brevius, intra finum petali infertum. 

 Stamina. Filamenta lex, fubulata electa, pe- 

 talo dimidio breviora. Anthers abortivae. 

 Pistillum. Germen infra receptaculum floris, 



maximum, longiflimum. Stylus ereflus, 



longitudine petali. Stigma capitatum, fub- 



rotundum. 

 Pericarpium. Bacca carnofa, corio tetta, 



longifiima, pulpa trifariam, ablque difle- 



pimentis. 

 Semina plurima, globofa. 



Hermaphroditi mafculi flora. 



Calyx ut in feminneo. 



Corolla ut in feminoeo. 



Stamina. Filamenta ut in feminaeo, at lon- 

 giora, te'nuiora. Anthers lineares, fulcatae, 

 ereftae, magnae. 



Pistillum. Germen ut in feminaeo, ut minus. 

 Stylus, et ftigma ut in faemineo, at mi- 

 nora. 



Pericarpium abortit. 



SPECIFIC 



Mufa fpadice erefto; floribus capitatis; fpathis 

 confertis, coccineis, maximis, apicibus lu- 

 teis. 



ORDER I. 

 ious difpofitions. Upon one Plant. 



ARACTER. 



Hermaphrodite flowers, ivhere the female parti 

 are perfeit. 



Empalement. Partial flieath oblong, egg- 

 fhaped, fmoothly-concavc, and large. 



Blossom unequal and gaping; the petal form- 

 ing the upper lip, the honev-cup the 

 under. 



Petal upright, ligulate, five-toothed, and 

 meeting at the bale in front. 

 Honey-cup one leaf, fhip-fhaped, fhorter than 

 the petal, and inclofed within it. 



Chives. Threads fix, awl-fhaped, upright, fhort- 

 er by half than the petal. Tips abortive. 



Pointal. Seed-bud below the receptacle of 

 the flower, large and very long. Shaft 

 upright the length of the petal. Summit 

 headed, nearly round. 



Seed-vessel. A flefhy berry, covered with a 

 tough lkin, very long, the pulp laying three 

 ways, without partitions. 



Seeds many, round. 



Hermaphrodite floivers, ivhere the male parts 

 are perfect. 



Empalement as in the female flower. 



Blossom as in the female flower. 



Chives. Threads as in the female flower, but 

 longer, and thinner. Tips linear, chan- 

 nelled, upright, and large. 



Pointal. Seed-bud the fame as in the female, 

 but fmaller. Shaft and fummit like the 

 female, but fmaller. 



Seed-vessel is abortive. 



CHARACTER. " 



Plantain-tree with an upright fruit-flalk; flowers 

 growing in heads; (heaths crowded together, 

 fcailet, very large, points yellow. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. The upper lip of the bloflbm, fhewn in front, as cut oft'clofe to the feed-bud. 



2. The fame, fliewing the hinder parts, with the three fmall claws on the border. 



3. The honev-cup, which forms the lower lip of the bloflbm. 



4. The feed-bud, chives, ftyle, and fummit, of a female hermaphrodite flower. . 



5. A feed-bud cut obliquely, to expofe the fituation charafter of the feeds. 



6. The chives, feed-bud, fliaft, and fummit, of a male hermaphrodite flower. 



The honour of having introduced this fupremely beautiful plant, pertains to, Thomas Evans Elq. of 

 Stepney; a gentleman to whofe zeal for the introduiStion of new plants our lloves are of late much 

 beholden; he having received it, amongft many others, about the year 1/Q2 from China, where, as 

 well as in Cochin-China, Sumatra, Java, &C. it is very commonly found. Our figure was taken, in 

 part, from a plant which flowered at James Vere's, Efq. Kenfington Gore, lalt December, and partly, 

 from one in blolTbm about the fame time, at the Hon. Lady Archer's, Ham Common. The Mufa 

 Coccinea grows to the height of about three, or four feet before it blows, and without queftion, has 

 no rival but Strelitzea Regina in the hothoufe, where its brilliancy, tends in fome degree, to dilpel 

 the gloom of winter, for at leaft three months. It increafes itfelf by fuckers, which are thrown up in 

 abundance from a vigorous plant; may be taken off" at any time, and will arrive at a flowering fizc 

 in twelve months; if planted in rich earth, and kept growing in pine heat, or on a flrong hotbed. 





