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The leaves, thao in a loose rosette, are large, oblong, and entire, 
with a very prominent midrib, and numerous straight, trans sverse veins. 
The free portion oe the petiole may be long or short. Usually the leaves 
are bright green on both sides, sometimes darker above and glaucous 
beneath, rarely with a narrow red edge. In the young state the leaves 
have narrowly hyaline margins, either beautifully crimson or white. 
The midrib is semi-cylindrical below, with a deep rounded groove 
above. The blades on up side of the dé are generally flat, but 
sometimes re ow te PIRE leaves of M. Ensete have been 
two broad, crisped, green da The leaves in M. a 4 are 
ith 
M, zebrina has the leaves barred with purple; M. (sapientum) 
vittata piia ith white ; and M. sumatrana with irregular blotches 
of i cash 
emerges the flowering spike, Wild lide: very slightly upwards. 
ex 0 
leaves, which more or less abruptly pass into the floral bracts. This 
spike varies greatly in size and length, not oe with the species, but 
according to: soil and treatment under cultivat 
It is composed of many clusters of flowers ar rd at intervals along 
the rachis. Each cluster is subtended by a large spathaceous and 
membranous bract. The lower ak of the rachis, or the peduncle, is as 
uch 
variations, according to Kurz, occur in the same variety. It is also 
furrowed, although ‘the furrows are often obsolete. In some species 
the Fist is erect, as in M. Fehi. In M. discolor it is drooping, and as 
long as the leaves. In M. proboscidea is nearly as long as the 
pru (5-6 feet). 
w 
djantong. The lowermost bracts are always larger and more elongate, 
and bear usually no flowers in their axils. T he nature of the outside 
of the bracts, whether furrowed and variously pruinose to meal 
he enormously large bracts of M. Ensete, 14 to 2 feet long, are claret- 
brown and persistent. In others they fall off with the abortive flowers. 
M. sapientum has bracts of a dull violet colour more or less glaucous 
outside. In one section (hodochlamys) the species have very highly 
coloured sene generally red or mra w. AM. salaccensis has pale lilae 
bracts, while in M. coccinea, a very ornamental species, they are bright 
red, tipped with yellow ; in M. aurantiaca they are bright orange. 
'The flowers, arranged in half-whorls, are inserted upon crescent- 
shaped protuberances of the rachis. ‘They are ge arranged in two 
rows and subtended by the bract. The lowermost clusters of flowers are 
generally female or pistillate (or as Kurz describes ions ermaphrodite- 
female) as the stamens are reduced or absent, The whorls further along | 
