IN EXTRA-TROPICAL COUNTRIES. 191 



Musa Livingstomaua, Kirk. 



Mountains of Sofala, Mozambique, and the Niger regions. 

 Similar to M. Ensete ; seeds much smaller. Possibly requiring 

 no protection in favourable places in warm temperate climes. 



Musa paradisiaca, Linne.* 



The ordinary Plantain or Pisang. India. Among the most 

 prolific of plants, requiring the least care in climes adapted for 

 its growth. Stem not spotted. Bracts purple inside. In 

 this, as well as the foregoing and the following, new shoots 

 are produced from the root, to replace annually the fruit- 

 bearing stem. The fruit of this is often prepared by some 

 cooking process. Very many varieties are distinguished, and 

 they seem to have sprung from the wild state of M. sapien- 

 tum. The writer did not wish to pass this and the allied 

 plants unnoticed, as they will endure the clime in the warmer 

 localities of the temperate zone, where under more careful 

 attention they are likely to mature their fruit with regularity. 

 They require rich and humid soil. Plantain meal is prepared 

 by simply reducing the dried pulp to powder. It is palatable, 

 digestible, and nourishing. M. sapientum, L., the ordinary 

 Banana or Sweet Plantain, is a variety. It is one of the 

 most important plants yielding nutritious delicious fruits. 

 The stem is spotted. Bracts green inside. The leaves and 

 particularly the stalks and the stems of this and other species 

 of Musa can be utilised for producing a fibre similar to 

 Manilla hemp. The fruit of this is used chiefly unprepared ; 

 it is generally of a yellow colour. Numerous varieties are 

 distinguished. As much as a hundredweight of fruit is 

 obtained from a plant annually in tropical climes. At Caracas, 

 where the temperature is seldom much above or below 60° F., 

 the Plantain and Banana plants are very productive, being 

 loaded with fruits 12 to 15 inches long, on mountains 

 about 5,000 feet high. In the dry Murray regions of South- 

 East Australia the winter temperature seems too low for the 

 successful development of these plants except on sheltered 

 spots, but Bananas still ripen under the shelter of hmestone 

 clifEs as far south as Swan River in West Australia. Requires 

 infinitely less care within its geographic latitudes than the 

 potato; contains along with much starch also protein com- 

 pounds. Many Indian populations live almost exclusively on 

 the fruit. 



Musa simiarum, Rumph. {M. comiculaia, Loureiro; M. acu- 

 minata, Coll.). 

 From Malacca to the Sunda Islands. About half a hundred 



