608 MUSACE^ — lEIDACB^. 



Natives of wami and tropical regions. Species of Strelitzia are found 

 in S. Africa, and of Eavenala in Madagascar. There are 5 known 

 genera and 21 species. Examples. — Musa, Strelitzia, Eavenala. 



The plants of this order furnish a large supply of nutritious fruit, 

 and their leaves afford valuable fibres. Spiral vessels abound in 

 them. Miisa sapientum and Cavendishii furnish different kinds of 

 Banana, while M. paradisiaca yields the Plantain. These fruits in 

 their ripe state contain much starchy matter. From their spurious 

 stems the fibres of the spiral vessels may be puUed out in such quantity 

 as to be used for tinder. The ribbon-like fibre in these vessels is 

 composed of several threads united together (pleiotrachese) (fig. 53, 

 p. 17). The produce of the Banana is of great value to the inhabit- 

 ants of warm countries. The same extent of ground which in wheat 

 would only maintain two persons, will yield sustenance under the Banana 

 to fifty. It has been estimated that a Banana plant in one year will 

 produce 3 bunches of fruit, each weighing 44 lbs. Mitsa textilis yields 

 a kind of fibre which is used in India in the manufacture of fine 

 muslins ; Manilla Hemp is also the produce of this plant. The woody 

 tissues of .many species of Musa is used for manufacture in warm 

 climates. The young shoots of the Banana are used as a culinary 

 vegetable. The juice of the fruit and the lymph of the stem of Musa 

 are slightly astringent and diaphoretic. The succulent interior of the 

 stem of an Abyssinian species, Musa Ensete, is eaten ; its fruit is dry 

 and full of seeds. Urania or Ravenala speciosa is the Water-tree 

 of the Dutch, or the Traveller's tree of Madagascar, so called on 

 account of the grea,t quantity of water which flows from its stem or 

 leaf-stalk when cut across. The juice of the fruit of Urania is used 

 for dyeing. 



Order 1 90. — Ieidace.*:, the Iris or Flower de Luce- Family. {Mmo- 

 Epigyn.) Perianth adherent, 6-parted, coloured, in 2, often unequal 

 whorls (figs. 855, 856). Stamens 3, epigynous, opposite the outer 

 segments of the perianth (figs. 855, 856 e e) ; filaments distinct or 

 monadelphous ; anthers 2-celled, extrorse. Ovary inferior (fig. 856 o), 

 3-celled ; ovules numerous (fig. 856 g), anatropal ; style 1 ; stigmas 3, often 

 petaloid (fig. 856 s), sometimes bilabiate. Fruit a 3-celled, 3-valved 

 capsule, with loculicidal dehiscence (fig. 544, p. 304). Seeds numerous ; 

 embryo enclosed in homy or fleshy albumen ; radicle next the hUum 

 (fig. 857).^ — Herbs, rarely undershrubs, with rhizomes or underground 

 corms, having their leaves often equitant or distichous, and their flowers 

 spathaceous. Natives chiefly of warm and temperate regions. They 

 abound at the Cape of Good Hope. The Crocus occurs only in Europe 

 and Asia. There are 55 known genera and 550 species. Examples 

 — Iris, Sisyrinchium, Witsenia, Gladiolus, Ixia, Crocus. 



Some of the plants have fragrant and stimulant, and some acrid, 

 rhizomes and corms ; others yield dyes. The root-stock of Iris ger- 



